villa Romana del Casale

The villa lies 6 km south-west of Piazza Armerina. The route is well signposted. Let's Go said it is a lovely hike to and from the villa but we didn't have time. In summer the buses run between Piazza Armerina and the villa but we were there in October, so we had to take a taxi there and back. The great thing about traveling off season is there are no crowds but the weather wasn't as cooperative but we've gotten used to that. We were in Sicily in March and it rained every day and it didn't bother us. This trip, it rained every day too with little spurts of respite so we could still take pictures. The surrounding environs of Piazza Armerina is wild and lush and absolutely lovely. Here and there is an occasional stone farmhouse, just the type of scenery we go to Europe to see.

Villa Romana del Casale is famous for it's mosaics and this place still acts as a magnet for all visitors to Sicily. The village of Casale and the Roman ruins were both destroyed in a landslide in the 12th century and forgotten. It was not until 1929 that archeaologists rediscovered the place. This villa has been explored since 1950. So far the manor house with nearly 50 rooms has been uncovered and conserved. Work is still being done as seen by the workers in the various rooms painstakingly replacing every little piece of lost mosaic.

The mosaics cover a wide spectrum of subjects from daily and court life, mythology and frequently of hunting. The best preserved is of maidens exercising in 'bikinis', this was closed to the public, so we don't have a picture of it but it can be seen from brochures and books.

piazza Armerina

Badeker's Sicily says of Piazza Armerina, ' as a city it is relatively young, established in 1080 by a Norman Count. For Sicily 1000 years is 'young' considering the Greeks were there in other parts of Sicily over 2000 years ago. This shows how far back the history of Sicily goes, it is amazing and for us, the US is only 200 or so years old. Until we go and explore Sicily, we really can't appreciate how ancient it's history is. Piazza Armerina is in the interior of Sicily, a 2 hour bus ride from Catania, though it could be accessed from other cities. Most people, if not all, goes to Piazza Armerina does so to visit Villa Romana del Casale, some 6 km away. No one hangs out in Piazza Armerina but it is a very pleasant place, 'Lonely Planet' did suggest spending a night and waking up to a very quiet and almost surreal place, ancient and beautiful.

The old quarter is very pretty, old buildings stacked on 3 hills with a very beautiful baroque church at the top of one of the hills, narrow and winding streets makes it a wonderful place to explore and spend a few hours. It is good for our souls, to contrast our fast pace and modern life with wandering in ancient cities which time forgot (almost). That's why I love Europe.

During the summer, there are buses that travels between Piazza Armerina and Villa Romana del Casale. We arrived around 1 pm and couldn't find any public transportation to Villa Romana del Casale. It was a picturesque ride from Catania. There was an elderly man, with a private car, hustling us, said he'll take us to the Roman villa and back for 30E. We, thought it was a little steep, decided to turn him down and proceeded to walk around town looking for an alternative.

We were around the old part of town where we found an official taxi driver. He said he'll take us there, wait for 1 hour while we explore the villa, then take us back to town, all for 25E. We jumped into his cab and off we went. We toured Villa Romana del Casale while our cab waited and after an hour, we hopped back in his cab and went back to town.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Piazza Armerina, had a snack of pannini and cappuccino, taking photographs, all the while, waiting for the bus to take us back to Catania.

This was our first full day back in Sicily, jet lag or not, we hit the ground running. It was drizzling on and off the whole day. On arriving in Catania, we went straight into rush hour traffic. We were in the front row seat of the bus, we had a front row seat of how to drive in Catania. It is a free for all, big and small alike and somehow they managed. Wow, we, with our American sensibilities can never drive like that.

Catania, Sicily, again

W arrived in the evening, took a cab to our hostel, the same one we stayed in on our previous trip in March this year. The owner recognised us, 'oh, it's you again!'. Yes, for 45E a night for the both of us, it's the bargain of the century. It is not in the best part of town but it is a 5 minute walk to the train station. They were full in the main palazzo, so we walked in the dark, through some weird alleys to a nearby apartment that they owned, had 3 big rooms and a shared bathroom. We stayed 3 nights, the first 2 we had the whole apartment to ourselves. We had to climb 3 flights of stairs. In Europe, be ready for lots of stairs, whether in hotels or in hostels but also in the metro and the trains. Pack light is the best motto.

It is obvious the accomodations are even below the level of Motel 6, leaves a lot to be desired. I've stayed in cheapie places and very expensive places. I'm gung ho for anything, doesn't bother me. The great thing about this place in Catania is it faces the sea, it has a waterfront view, glorious, it's near the train station. They're always full.

The next morning, it was raining, in fact, it rained on and off the whole time we were in Sicily except our last day. We were prepared, it rained too during our March visit. We went out in the rain anyway. The sea was so rough and the waves, some 30 feet high were crashing onto the promenade. It was a beautiful sight.

We found a cafe and had our first arancino(i), walked around Catania while waiting for a bus to take us to Piazza Armerina. It is so good to be back.

The main way to fly to Sicily is through Catania. While there are airports in Palermo and Trapani, most airlines fly in and out of Catania. This time we flew into a brand new building. There is a bus, No. 457 that runs between the airport and the train station. The bus system is right next to the main train station. Catania is very easy to handle, it might not look pretty as other cities in Northern Italy but we felt real comfortable in Catania.

An amazing trip

Another one. How can I top this one? This is the question after each trip. So far I have been able to do it. I have a lot to work with. We live in an incredible world. I haven't even touch the tip of the iceberg. I love to plan my own itineraries. How else could one be able to incorporate Sicily with Provence and throw in 2 & 1/2 days in Paris? The contrast could not be greater- Sicily, wild and wacky; France, serene and graceful; Paris, romantic and historical. I love them all.

We, sort of, criss crossed Sicily, our second trip this year, going to places we didn't on our first trip, flying into Catania, going to Palermo and to the far west to Trapani and the mysterious and ancient village of Erice, high above Trapani. Then we took the train back to Catania, this was an all day affair, taking us from Trapani to Palermo, across the Northern coast of Sicily to Messina passing through Milazzo, changing trains again at Messina for a train to Catania. We arrived late in Catania, our hotel had already sold our room (the last one) but told us we didn't have a reservation (which we did). They referred us to another hotel. We left Catania at 6.30 am for Paris with a stopover and a change of planes at Malpensa airport, Milan. We didn't stop in Paris but took the TGV from Charles de Gaulle airport and in 2 hours we were eating gourmet food in Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France. After a day trip to Annecy (near Geneva, Switzerland) we left and went to Avignon. We visited an amazing range of little villages in Provence, some perched high on hilltops, others with historical castles- most of them I've only read about and seen in books like 'The most beautiful villages of Provence'.

Then it was another TGV from Avignon to Paris. This was my third visit to Avignon and my fifth to Paris, all visits were just as magical. We walked, we took lots of trains, planes, we ate our way through our trip. It was expensive but then what is money for if not to buy experiences. Buy experiences was what we did. It will take me a good while to digest this trip. Over the next few months I will post details of this trip. We took some great pictures. Between Sophie and me, we must have some 2,000 photos. We were eager to squeeze as much out of this trip as we possibly can and we did. Three weeks on the road with no downtime, we got up and kept going every morning even though we were tired and exhausted and the weather was not cooperative. Now we need a vacation to get over that vacation. It's back to work, to make more money to take another trip.

I spent hours looking through all the pictures. I love them all- the highlights, my personal favorite are the trips to Villa Palagonia in the Bagheria suburb of Palermo, Sicily and the red village of Roussillon en Provence.

Stay tuned to this blog, you won't be disappointed.

Pictures are of,

The ochre hills of Roussillon, Provence

Tour Eiffel

Fishermen mending nets in Trapani, Sicily

The wacky villa Palagonia, Bagheria, Sicily

Arancino breakfast on first day in Catania, Sicily

Pelting rain in ancient village of Erice

Pont du gard, Provence

The wild landscape of Sicily

Honey, I'm home

We arrived home yesterday after an exhausting 3 week trip. It was another incredible trip full of wonderful highlights each one as magnificent as the other. We spent 10 days in Sicily going to the places we missed on our first trip in March this year. Even so, we still missed seeing Segeste. It rained every day except the last day, some days we were soaked through but our intrepid souls refused to let us give up. Heck, we spent a lot of hard earned dollars and made that hard trek to get over there. It was a hard trip, physically, trying to find our way around with only information from some guide books in 2 countries for which we had no working knowledge of the language, hauling our luggage on cobbled stones, up and down trains and metro stations, getting lost, asking unhelpful residents and the list goes on but it was still well worth making that stupendous effort. I'd do it again (which I am) and again, the alternative is staying at home and be an armchair traveler (not for me).

The trip wasn't as smooth as expected, I did screw up on some travel arrangements, Roussillon, which I thought was possible to be visited by train was not to be, at the spur of the moment (at the very busy and confusing train station at Part Dieu, Lyon, we changed plans and headed for Avignon 2 days ahead of our schedule, cancelled the stay at Roussillon and visited using an excursion company. Our excursion van was broken into, all of us (except moi) left our purses in the locked van which was broken into, the passenger side window smashed in. Only the purse of the driver was taken and my coat. She said I could leave my stuff next to hers in the front seat. I never let go of my stuff, it's always hanging around my neck, I figure if anyone takes my things they have to take me also. We were close by and heard the commotion which was a good thing. They didn't have enough time to ransack the whole van. The tour guide should know better than to let us leave our stuff in the van. Thank God, we felt the prayers of our families throughout the trip and I've been praying way before the trip and during the trip. I never leave anything to chance, I'm always praying and thank God, anything worse than that did not happen. We were lost in a little village of Erice because of pelting rain and fog, we couldn't see our way and was literally going around in circles before finding a guy in a fancy BMW who got us into his car and drove us to the bus stop, we were soaking wet.

The weather was dry in our France part of the adventure, in fact, in Provence, it was warm. Paris wasn't cold yet either, very nice. It was packed with tourists, even at this time of the year. Every famous monument had long lines but we managed. We had to fly the very rude Air France. While I know that Singapore Airlines is the best, I've never flown it but Lufthansa and British Air, both of which I've flown in are a close second. They all have better service because their in flight crew are friendlier, not the Air France people, they're downright rude. I'll try to avoid them in future.

France, I must say, is impressive because of their transportation system, the train service is nothing like you've ever seen in this world, truly a technological marvel. You've got to go there and take advantage of it, get past their rudeness, be persistent in trying to get the information you need. Disarm their attitude by smiling and greeting them first, it's hard when you're tired and confused, but try to do it anyway. Learn a few French words and phrases, enough to get by.

I must have taken at least 800 photos, filling my 2 x 2gb memory card, 2 power packs, I had to recharge once, I brought a transformer with me and adaptable plugs. Sophie was recharging every night, she only brought 1 battery pack with her. You need 2 at least and at least 4 gb of memory, either in one card or in 2 cards. Sophie took so many pictures, she needed 6gb. The pictures are priceless, I don't want to redo the trip just to redo the pictures. I've downloaded all of them into my computer and over the next few months will put them in my blog and write about this trip. I'm having jet lag, it will take me at least 10 days to get back into my normal rhythm, I woke up at 1 am this morning.

These pictures were taken at the coffee shop at Musee d'orsay on our last day in Paris. It is a gorgeous museum if only just to see the Impressionists. I visited it 7 years ago but seeing it again renewed my love for it. At the start of the trip, the pie is whole and beautiful and with each passing day we chip away (eat) a part of it until we completely consumed the whole slice and the ending is just as beautiful.

Blogging in Palermo!

After 17 hours of tiresome air travel and 3 airports later, we have finally arrived in Catania, Sicily (again!). Spent 2 days exploring the country side, Piazza Amerina and Caltagirone, we arrived at Palermo a few hours ago, to a humid afternoon rain. This is a contrast against Catania where the waves were 30-40 feet, wind was surreal but not cold. We visited the Ballaro Market to see the Carmine church, with its gorgeous majolica-tiled dome against the back drop of the dirty and smelly Ballaro Market with the smell of dead fish, urine and garbage strewn all over the small alley way. We will journal along the way- it's time now for spaghetti a la vongole and aqua minerale frizzante and insalata mista- ciaò!!

Out the door (again) to Sicily and Provence

Well, I'm off again, 6 months on a 'Ramen' diet and I'm leaving on a jet plane, heading for Paris, Rome and Catania, Sicily. I don't know if I'll post anything while I'm away, I'll try. Not much chance in Catania, maybe in Palermo. We're staying at the same hotel in Palermo we stayed in March, they have a computer in the hall that I can use. We'll be in Sicily for 10 days, heading west, this time, for Trapani. Siciliamo writes (comment), to check out the salt pans and the salt museum near Trapani. Our schedule in Trapani is pretty tight, I don't know if I can make that trip to Mozia to see the salt pans. I might have to plan a third trip to Sicily in the future. Two trips and I haven't covered everything.
We're staying at the same hostel in Catania, it is run by a Dutch man, who is married to a Sicilian, it is converted old palazzo. It's clean and cheap, 46 euros per night for 2 people, can't beat that price. He's full all the time with young Europeans.
I'm looking forward to the food, the food is one of the things that draws me back. It is still kind of undiscovered and these restaurants caters to the locals, so the food is great home cooking at a reasonable price. Sharon Stone was in Sicily this summer, I'm sure she's not eating in mom and pop restaurants in Catania or Palermo. She was probably on the beach in Taormina-Giardini Naxos and probably stayed in that grand palazzo turned resort hotel in Taormina. She definitely wouldn't be caught dead in the Ballaro or Vucerria markets in Palermo or the fish market in Catania.
But for the rest of us poor folks who can't afford the world's Hilton's or any resort hotels, does that mean we have to stay at home and watch the travel shows on TV? I say, don't watch any travel show or read any glossy travel magazine. We can never afford those prices and we only condemn ourselves to a life of an armchair traveler.
Get a second job, walk, take the bus, drive the old car for a little longer, eat more vegetarian meals, pack a sack lunch, no alcohol, no sodas, no smokes (of any kind), eat Ramen (if you have to). Save that money and pack your bags and be on your way. Even in Europe, there are ways to save, eat picnic lunches but splurge on the occasional restaurant meal. I went to a Moroccan restaurant in France on one trip and had Lamb Tagine with couscous. It was wonderful. It was cheaper than a trip to Morocco to eat it. Of course a trip to Morocco means other experiences besides eating Tagine of any sort.
Oscar Wilde said, ' two things I like about a trip, one is leaving for a new place, the other is coming home to the familiar'.
I shall miss home, at 'the time of apples'. I look forward to October every year when the myriad of varieties of apples appear in the farmer's markets. I hope when I return in 3 weeks, there will be some left.
However it will be Fall in Sicily. They have those sweet and luscious pears from around Mt Etna. They are so good, it's worth the trip just to go there and eat them, I think. There are so many other things to look forward to, across the pond. The people, the food, the sights... I'm getting a little bored already in Los Angeles.
When I return, there are the holidays to look forward to and to ready for....

Cash, credit cards & other financial matters

Traveler's checks, like travel agents, seem to be a thing of the past. Because of the risks of forgeries, traveler's checks are more a nuisance than a traveler's aid. Before embarking on your foreign trip, inform your credit card company that you'll be abroad so they wouldn't reject the charges you make abroad. I've had that happen to me. These days I use the credit card less and less while abroad.
European businesses, mom and pop hotels and restaurants prefer cash. They don't declare this income. Unless it's a major store, or the rail service, I don't use credit cards. I use cash a lot, I bring a lot of cash. When I come home, I have very few credit card bills to contend with, the trip is already paid for. If I run out of cash, I go to an ATM and take out more cash.
With the US dollar so low, I might have to abandon visiting Europe for a while and visit Asia and China where I can still get more with the US dollar. Italy has become very expensive. Where in Europe can you get some kind of value, maybe in North Africa- Morocco, Jordan and Egypt. So I have to turn this adversity into a positive change, go to places where value still can be gotten, maybe eastern Europe - Croatia, Slovenia or Bulgaria.
Above all, I have to revisit my budget and find even more ways to save. I went on a few airline websites - BA, Air France and United Airlines to check out prices for next year. I went into sticker shock, wow, fares are going up and/or have gone up. Why not, a barrel of oil hovers around U$80 and expected to go up to U$100. Phew! I'm watching airfares from now till end of the year, I need to pounce if I see a reasonable fare sale. I've never had such challenge before.
I was thinking to myself yesterday, 'what if money were no object?' Nay, it'll remove all the fun, the fun of juggling too many projects with limited funds, the fun of the challenge of squeezing more dollars out of the budget for travel, without feeling too deprived.
A new strategy will have to be found, like I said earlier, visit cheaper places (before they too get expensive).
I just realized that this trip is already paid for. I've paid for the airfare, I've taken out the cash for the trip, I've paid all the home bills for 2 months..... wow... how great is that!
The property tax bill arrived 2 days ago and the check is even now winging it's way to the County Assessor's office. I called my credit card company yesterday and paid my credit card bill in full.
Life is good!

The Annals of Gawpo: New Camera For The Trip To Sicily

The Annals of Gawpo: New Camera For The Trip To Sicily

How to be your own travel agent 2

I was chatting with a friend yesterday who told me that he and his wife just came back from Italy. I said, wow, how fun but he was less enthusiastic. He said, Italy is overrated, it's too expensive, he paid U$450 a night for a room at the Sheratan in Rome. Of course, if you don't do the research and if you call up a travel agent, since they work on commissions, guess what, they'll book you a room at the Sheratan in Rome. You'll end up paying a ton of hard earned money for a trip that could be had for a third of the price. You have to do the work, you have to be your own travel agent, it is not difficult work, everything can be done on the Internet. It sounded like he has buyer's remorse. I would too.
Analysis of my upcoming trip:
1) Airfare (return) U$1250
2) hostel in Catania E46 (2 persons)
3) hotel in Palermo E80 (2 persons)
4) hotel in Trapani E60 ( 2 persons)
5) hotel in Catania E85 (2 persons)
6) hotel in Lyon E65 (2 persons)
7) hotel in Roussillon E65 (2 persons)
8) hotel in Avignon E58 (2 persons)
9) hotel in Paris E90 (2 persons)
These are still very high prices but definitely not U$450 per night. If you let a travel agent do the work you'll end up going to fewer places for 3 times the cost. Europe has definitely gotten more expensive and with the falling value of the US dollar, it will continue to be expensive. While I skimp to save on lodgings, I don't skimp on safety. At the prices I'm paying I have money left to see more places and therefore buy more experiences. I come back from every trip after seeing a wide variety of places and not having doled out a fortune. I have enough memories to fill volumes. I don't come back disillusioned because I paid too much.
I read guide books for fun. I love Let's Go because it caters to people with my kind of budget. I bought a 2007 Let's Go Italy at a reduced price. I know why they reduced the price, there are mistakes in the write up on Trapani. I've noticed mistakes in past copies too, a section on Venice, they referred to something on one of their maps which is not there. But it doesn't detract from their usefulness. Maybe they should hire me to proof read their future publications. (hint).
Reading glossy travel magazines, you would think that travel is out of the question, how can you afford $300 or more a night rooms? Understand that magazines make money from advertisements and only the most expensive advertise with these glossy magazines. The truth is there's a myriad of other hotel alternatives. I've stayed in very cheap rooms and very expensive rooms, they don't affect the trip at all. Since I use the rail system a lot, convenience and proximity to the train station is more important to me.
The truth is, anytime you ask someone to do the work for you, you'll add on to the cost. Do it yourself, be your own travel agent.

How to create an ititnerary for your trip

I use a lot of guide books, while they are quite similar, there are subtle differences which I can detect. Each traveler has different partiality and writes effusively about certain things and you can pick up on them. Others just wants to visit and get the job done. So with a collection of guide books I can pretty much piece together a few places that would most excite me and then string them up the best I could and form an itinerary. That is basically it. What places would you most want to see? One has to understand that one can't see everything in one itinerary, so it is necessary to prioritize. Create a smaller area to cover that can be easily linked by trains or buses. A bigger area might warrant flying, like an itinerary that includes Paris, Lourdes and Rome. When using the trains or buses try to shorten the distances between cities by finding interesting stops eg. Venice to Rome, try to make stops in Bologna and/or Florence for a few days. Even in a particular city, take day trips to places of interests nearby eg. day trip to Fiesole or Siena or Ravenna from Florence.

Try to make more trips, more often and thereby travel more. It would mean working more and saving more. I'm always looking for ideas to save more money. There was a time when I could work more. Keep the old car for a little longer or for a few more years, drive it less, walk or take the buses. To afford travel these days, one must make a lot more sacrifices. I remember when US$1 was equal to 1.2 Euros,that was 7 years ago, since then things has gotten more and more expensive each year and the dollar has fallen against every currency in the world. There's just no way that we can live the way we did even 6 months' ago.

Try not to double back, fly in and out of the same city, do a loop. We did that once, flew into and out of Paris. When we flew into Paris, we took the TGV at Charles de Gaulle airport and headed for Tours to see the romantic castles of the Loire. Then headed south to the walled city of Carcassone, then to Avignon and while in Avignon to Isle sur Sorgue as a day trip and then back to Paris. The other thing is to fly 'open jaw', fly into Naples, Italy and leave from Nice, France.

I've never followed suggested itineraries in guide books. I always make up my own and they are weird because my interests are so different from everybody Else's. Yours would, too, because you are different, try it, you'll find out who you are. I have changed itineraries many times in the planning stage, another thing about independent travel, you have that luxury. Not so with a cruise or a guided tour, someone makes the itinerary and you just tag along.

I am looking at my note pad to see all the itineraries I've made up for future trips, one day I may decide Malaysia is a priority, the next day I'll change my mind and head back to Europe, but eventually before the trip I would have pinned myself down to something and make plans for that final itinerary. Oh, the glorious struggle.

How to ride the rails in Europe

The Internet is a wonderful tool. You can check the Internet for train schedules and routes and this presents an incredible tool in helping design a travel itinerary. All the guidebooks give the names of the rail companies of all the countries in Europe, Renfe for Spain, SNCF for France, British rail for England and Trenitalia for Italy. I've found this to be invaluable every time I make up my travel plans. There are agents for these companies here in the US. I've used both of them, BETS and Raileurope. One can purchase the myriad of rail passes from these two companies, not only that they publish their own guide and is available to everyone and when you call, at least this is true of Bets (I've called them before), they are a rich source of information about using the railway system in Europe. They are very knowledgeable about train travel in Europe.
The system is huge, especially with the formation of the EU, Italian trains roll right into France, German trains roll right into Amsterdam, Spanish trains enter into French border towns, it is really amazing. . These are fast trains too. Within any country there are a myriad of different trains, fast and the slow milk trains that stop at every town. Once I'm in Europe I'll be using the trains primarily, I usually go the day before I need to travel (to the station) to check out the schedule and to buy my ticket, this way I know when to go to the station the day of travel and I know the duration of the trip and the stops and if I need to change trains anytime.
1) check Internet for schedule and routes while planning trip.
2) agents in US - Bets or Raileurope
3) Rail pass or point to point, - it depends, lately I seem to prefer point to point, preferring to purchase train tickets while in Europe, but sometimes you have to make advance purchases, like the next trip, when I go to Paris from Catania, I shall be taking the TGV from Charles de Gaulle airport and head down to Lyon. I have my tickets mailed to me by Raileurope, so I have my train tickets already even as we speak.
4) different trains, fast and slow, check in host city.
5) find accommodation near the train station, Let's Go is good at giving addresses and contact for rooms near train station, for this reason my preferred guide book is Let's Go. These are usually cheap rooms but sometimes a 3-star hotel is necessary with a 24-hour concierge- if you have an early flight, you need some one to wake you up and call you a taxi.
6) Most trains (the newer ones) announce the next stop, some don't - the older trains, in this case you have to ask fellow passengers or better yet, ask first at the ticket counter the name of the stop before your stop, so you can get ready, wait at the door and get off at the correct stop.
I've been on older trains in Italy, there were no announcement, each time the train slowed down, I had to stand up to ask what stop it was, I must have done this at least 6 times on that trip. Newer trains are great, they flash the name of the next stop so you know. If you're not sure about any train, ask a uniformed personnel, is this the train for Palermo? While alighting, if not sure, ask fellow passengers, is this the stop for Catania?
Some train station are so huge, they are like an airport, look for an information booth, ask questions, ask lots of questions, always look for a train employee, they're in uniform. Don't ask a fellow tourist, most likely they're as lost as you are. I remember arriving in La Spezia and was looking for Cinque terre train. There were other Americans doing the same thing, this smart Alec American pointed to the train for Genoa and was sure since it goes through the Cinque terre, that must be the train we were looking for. It wasn't, that train doesn't stop in any of the Cinque terre towns, it just goes right through. Only the Cinque terre trains are allowed to stop. Good thing, we didn't believe him but continued to look for and found the Cinque terre train. He did the same thing, he didn't trust his own advice. We all got to get to where we wanted to go, all was well.
Trains are better, cheaper and less stressful. Renting a car has its advantages but is expensive. Unless one arranged for a car rental before leaving home, renting one at the spur of the moment is expensive. I remember arriving at Dignes le Bains, trying to get to see the lavender fields and could not because of lack of transportation. We rented a tiny Renault for 69 euros a day. That wasn't all, the agent made me sign another credit card slip for 500 euros in case I have an accident with the car, they will use that to pay for the damage. If I bring the car back intact,she'll give that slip back to me to tear up. So all the time that Sophie, my sister in law, was driving, I was praying. If you can arrange ahead of time, Renault rents out cars, to be picked up or returned at any city in France, for a very reasonable rate.
I've seen Americans driving rental cars in Sicily, they get out of the car, sniffed around, got back into the car and drove off. I'm sure they can see the whole island in a week. The thing is to take public transportation, linger longer and talk to the locals. We talk to the locals all the time, the old retirees, we don't understand a thing, we just smile and nod.
I got addicted to cheap railway station accommodations during a trip, a few years ago. It was in Brive la Gallarde in France. Never heard of it? Don't despair, it's a nothing town, Let's Go said, 'it has lots of cheap rooms and is a major rail stop which makes it a good base for exploring that area of the Dodorgne eg. Rocamadour and Sarlat'. We paid US$100 for 3 nights for 2 people. Wow! While you can still find these in small towns in France, it is near impossible in Italy. Italy has gotten very, very expensive. Mind you at my age (55) I still stay in hostels if the hostel is close to the train station but most hostels are too far away.
As I said before, I usually purchase my tickets the day before travel. This way I can plan to get up at the right time and get ready some food and drinks for the trip. Some trains have a dining car or a food cart comes around, not all. Be prepared, get ready some food for the trip and relax, let someone else do the driving
Do some research before you leave, write down some notes if you have to, you'll be leaving home with a head full of information. I am my own travel agent, so I have notes on everything, the names of the hotels, how to get there, when I go where, what to see, where to eat. It might be overwhelming the first time, that's why it is important to start with a simple itinerary and slowly work into a more complex one for future trips. Get into your mind that you will return to Europe and soon.
I recently checked the Internet and found out that the Eurostar station in London is no longer Waterloo, starting November 2007, it's being moved to St Pancras station.
I remember my first trip on a TGV train, not knowing there's seat assignments, I got into the first class coach and sat in some one's seat, there were a whole bunch of French families who said nothing till an hour later, a train conductor kicked me out to my seat in a second class coach. I apologized and went to my assigned seat. I've come a long way from those days.

Packing

Pack for one week, even though you are going for three weeks, I hear that a lot and I follow this advice religiously. Not so, my sister in law, let me beg her again this trip to take this advice. A bar of soap, a small roll of toilet paper? Where am I going, to Timbuktu? The soap at hotels are so small, they're difficult to use, besides I bring a nice piece of scented soap in my luggage to make it smell nice. Toilet paper comes in handy in trains' toilets and other places where there might not any, Sophie, usually brings the handi-wipes, those are great. Of course my pink scarf that goes where ever I go and my money belt. Don't leave home without it.

They don't stamp passports anymore, they just look at it and wave you through, this much traveled passport does not have enough stamp to prove it. Euros, the more the better. I use mostly cash, partly because the mom and pop places I stay in takes only cash, they don't declare the income, partly also because by the time I come back, the trip is almost paid for. I won't have those pesky credit card charges following me home, forget about reward miles, I prefer not to owe anything, my ticket's already paid for in last month's credit card bill. I have also paid twice all my bills, my utility bill, my phone bill and my mortgage, all I've made 2 payments, so when I come back, all my bills are already paid. I have enough money to do this and it makes for a great feeling. I haven't decided on what reading material to bring but I'm bringing "Sicily" guidebook by Rough guide. The hotel arrangements are in bits of paper downloaded from my email, so is my plane ticket, eticket all the way.

A big sketchbook, a little sketchbook, a writing pad, paint brushes, watercolor pencils, pen, pencils, and watercolors, I hope I have time to stop and indulge in these urges to draw and paint a little. Of course my Sony Cybershot camera, memory card and 2 power packs. I still need to get a transformer for recharging that battery pack, I don't want to run out of power. I did, the last trip and ended up using a lot of those one time use cameras, I was buying them at a clip so fast, it's like they were going out of style. And a universal adaptor plug. My goodness, the gadgets I have to bring.

Am I forgetting anything? Have I covered everything? I hope so. I've done this so many times, I've become a seasoned traveler.

All is well at work too, I have arranged for a good relief pharmacist to take my place while I'm gone. That's a relief, my people are being taken care of while I'm away. (Thanks, Jenny, if you are reading this).

Fall

The pictures of the Japanese Anemone are taken at a house in Venice beach, Ca, I don't know whose is it. I walk past it every time I walk to the beach. Each year around this time they bloom and give this glorious display. It is not so spectacular this year because the owners neglected them this year. In previous years the display were so awesome, I had wanted to take photos of it but missed the opportunity. I had to wait one whole year till yesterday for these 2 photos. They are still marvelous. My tomatoes had a good run, I gave a lot away and I ate a lot. I'm cleaning the yard today and will dispose them to the green can for recycling. It has been a great year and it is now winding down, not really, I leave for Sicily and Provence in a little more than 2 weeks. When I return preparations for the holidays starts.

Matera, Italy

Here is Mel Gibson on the set while filming 'The Passion of the Christ'. When I saw the movie, I was so moved by not only the movie but also by the place where it was shot. I couldn't get it off my mind. It was hauntingly beautiful, I knew it wasn't in Israel, but where. I checked the website of the movie and found out it was in a little unknown town in Southern Italy. I had to go visit. By being my own travel agent I was able to do it. I read all I could find, there was no easy way to get into the interior of Southern Italy, the easiest was to head south to Bari and from Bari take the train to Matera. This was what we did. What we are seeing are the 'sassi' cave dwellings that has been there for thousands of years, the local peasants lived in these caves with their animals. It was once declared to be so unsanitary but Unesco thought otherwise, it was declared a world heritage site by Unesco. There was a revival of interest in these 'sassi' caves, the city folks began to buy up these properties for development. A lot of them have been converted to lofts, some into hotels. We stayed in such a hotel, the 'Locanda di San Martino'. The owners, a husband who is Italian and a wife who is American, did a great job. It is a beautiful hotel. It is a very unusual place, one can spend endless hours just roaming up and down, in and out of these caves, some are lived in, others are abandoned. Besides Mel Gibson's movie, there were a host of other movies that were shot on location there. So it's not so unknown to the movie industry. It was unknown to me till this movie. I'm always amazed that when I read something or see something that moves me, I want to experience it. Last week, at a Barnes and Noble bookstore, I saw this book about St Catherine monastery in the Sinai desert. Wow, it had the same haunting beauty like Matera. Guess what, I'm making plans to go there, it's in Egypt.