Our 2 week trip to Italy

Justin was supposed to post another blog before this one, but I am getting impatient.  Enjoy.

Good friends are hard to come by and great friends are practically myth, but somehow Justin and I have been lucky enough to develop a friendship with several absolutely amazing people here in Switzerland.  Justin and I have mentioned Hanna and Roberto in prior posts, and they will probably continue to be frequent characters in our journey here and hopefully beyond. A few months ago, and unbeknownst to Roberto (oops!), Hanna invited us to join them on their two week vacation to Italy.  Of course we accepted with zero hesitation, I mean, who wouldn’t? We spent the next several months convincing Roberto that we wouldn’t ruin his vacation, discussing the plans that Hanna was making for our “power sightseeing” drive down through Italy, what to expect and what to bring, and all the other glorious details. And finally, June 16^th arrived and despite how excited we were, we still remained oblivious to how absolutely incredible the trip would be.

Day 1:

Knowing the drive to Italy would take almost a full day, Justin and I stayed with Hanna and Roberto the night before so we could pack the car and leave at 4am the next morning.  This always sounds good in theory until you hear the alarm clock, but somehow the anticipation fueled us and we made it out of the house right on time.  With the surf board on the roof, the trunk overflowing, bicycles on the back, the iPod full, and directions in the GPS we were finally ready. Roberto was kind enough to do most of the driving and Hanna the DJ-ing. The drive through southern Switzerland is always breathtaking. With mountains, waterfalls, bridges and tunnels there is an endless supply of things to see.  The good conversation also made time pass quickly and we were at the border in no time. Despite Roberto telling everyone to “Act Calm!” as we approached the border patrol and then subsequently screaming and wailing around like a mad man, we made it through without being stopped.

Soon we arrived at our first destination, the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano).   Milan itself didn’t provide the first impression I expected, as it was mostly an old city that had a huge garbage/litter issue.  However, looking closely you can see that the architecture hidden beneath the piles of trash was lovely.  The gold and yellow buildings lining both sides of the street stood around three to four stories high and were riddled with beautiful terraces and beds of flowers. The roads were small, quaint, and were clearly conceived in a time before the SUV. We parked and walked to the Milan Cathedral and had our breath stolen from us instantly.  It was stunning and far from mundane.  The abundance of decadent steeples and intricate detailing protruding from every curve and corner made it seem almost alien. It was incredible to behold and the moment you stepped inside you felt the centuries of history that seemed woven into the foundation. We walked around silently observing and taking the church in, and I managed to steal a few without-the-flash-doesn’t-do-it-justice pictures.  Being the 4^th largest cathedral in the world, it was a lot to digest.  There were hundreds of monuments and aisles of pews that seemed to be endless.  The mummified remains of Archbishops were on display in glass cases and they quickly sent chills down my spine. The Vigil Lights provided the only light aside from the light coming through the enormous stain-glass windows. It was hard not to feel calm and moved by the church and we all lit a candle before heading out to get coffee and continue our drive south.

Hanna was keeping us on a tight schedule and was slightly disappointed when we arrived in Florence about 20 minutes later than planned.  Florence was beautiful despite the murky river that seemed to idly sit rather than flow through the middle of the city. We searched for the statue of David, but were sent in 3 different directions by locals.  We later discovered that there is one original and two replicas so people were innocently sending us in various directions. We eventually gave up and just went to see Ponte Vecchio which is an old bridge that cuts across the river.  It is incredibly rare because it still has shops built along it, as was once common. The shops were mostly jewelry stores and art dealers, and the stores were loaded with people speaking incredibly fast and heavily animated Italian. It really was a unique experience and I’m happy we got to see it. We stopped at a small restaurant and got a sandwich before leaving a little off schedule.

After Florence things stopped going as smooth.  We got turned around for a while and got double hit by some of the tolls, but eventually made our way through the beautiful countryside and finally arrived at the island off the coast of Tuscany that would be our final stop.  When we arrived in Monte Argentario Justin and I were speechless.  The view was like nothing I have ever seen. Hanna finished the drive through the windy roads of the island and it seemed like every turn held its own treasures. Around one corner we would see a sandy beach loaded with people, another and see enormous rocks and crystal blue waters, and another we would see small towns surrounding large harbors. We arrived in time to go to the grocery store, eat a delicious dinner, and head out for a late swim in the sea.  Hanna and Roberto welcomed us properly by having us jump of a large rock into the clear and refreshing water.  By nightfall we were exhausted and slept soundly.

Day 2:

The property in Monte Argentario that we were to live on over the next two weeks on is owned by Hanna’s family and can only be described as a paradise.  The first thing you notice as you drive down the steep hill and onto the property is that there are many buildings. There are two smaller quaint houses that are built of stone, each of which has a queen size bed and bathroom ready for guests. There are also two larger houses one of which included a small kitchen, bedroom, living room, and bathroom.  Justin and I stayed in that one, while Roberto and Hanna stayed in the other. Their home included the main kitchen and dining room where we cooked and ate our meals, two living rooms, the bedroom, bathroom, and the patio where we spent many mornings sipping on coffee and gazing at the blue water down below and the neighboring islands in the distance. The three other structures on the property included a large shed to hold the beach and activity equipment, a car port that was topped with bamboo, and a large covered patio that included a Foosball table which would make an excellent venue for an outdoor party.

The next thing I noticed as we drove onto the property was the plethora of flowers, gardens, and trees that made the place look tropical.  There were olive trees for making olive oil, tomato plants, tons of herbs, a palm tree, and many beautiful beds of flowers in every color.  Because of the variety, an incredible aroma hits you when you step out of the car.  Most notably, the smell of rosemary, basil, and salt water filled the air.

The last thing I noticed was the panoramic view which is something you have to see to believe.  The property sits on the more private and secluded side of the island and so it seemed like we had the place to ourselves.  From where we stood we could see the curve of the island as it veered towards the sea, large rocks protruding from the water, clear water spotted with the occasional dark spots of sea weed or coral, blue skies void of clouds, and a small ruin on the top right corner of the island.  Waking up to the view and the sea breeze every morning was incredibly relaxing.

After I spent much of the morning taking pictures of the property and the view we all ate breakfast and headed out to the sea.  First, we decided to do some kayaking in the ocean, so the men brought down the large kayak from storage and the four of us paddled along the coast towards a large cave.  We went into the cave and snorkeled down through an opening in the cave wall and right out into the open sea.  I was pretty nervous, but Roberto guided me through and, despite the small scrape on my hand from the coral, I made it out okay. Justin made it through effortlessly and made it look easy, of course. Next, we kayaked to a small, remote beach where we played stick ball with bamboo and rocks and found some nice places to lay around for a bit.  Hanna and I went on a small hike while the guys skipped stones and then we all kayaked back. That evening we ate a small apero and played some Bocce and Foosball.  Hanna and I won best out of three so the guys had to cook us breakfast the next morning.  Finally, we ate dinner and then relaxed for the rest of the 
evening.

Day 3:

The guys had to suck up their pride and cook us breakfast while we enjoyed some hot tea outside on the lounge chairs.  It was excellent.  The breakfast they prepared was the traditional breakfast we had each morning, including: toast (and I mean LOTS of toast) with jam, honey, cream cheese, or just butter, fruit, fried eggs, coffee and tea, and Hanna’s “It taste better in Italy” yogurt.

Once we were nice and stuffed and in our bathing suits we went to a large rock that would become a frequent destination for us. We brought along some chair cushions to lay on, umbrellas, snacks, and our snorkel gear. It was incredibly relaxing and if we got too hot all we had to do was jump the 2 meters off the rock and into to the refreshing water.  We all would randomly repeat this routine multiple times throughout the day. Occasionally we would change things up with snorkeling, but for the most part we simply let the perfect weather consume us. Spending the day on this rock is how I imagine Italy when I think about it now that we have returned. Then, I just have to smile and be envious of my past self.

When we returned that evening we all took outdoor showers overlooking the island. That night we also gave Roberto his early birthday present which was an authentic soccer jersey from Italy’s national team. As expected, he threw it on for the evening’s Italy game right before we headed into Porto Santo Stefano, one of the small towns on the island, to watch. Before the game we had dinner at a nearby restaurant where we met a very nice Italian family.  The son who was about 9 years old was surprisingly interested in our group and they ended up sitting with us and getting some gelato during the public viewing. Italy defeated Ireland 2-0, and afterwards we headed home and went right to bed.

Day 4:

After another one of Roberto’s famous egg and toast breakfasts we headed to the local market. I could have stayed all day, but unfortunately we only had about an hour to see everything before it closed up. We all bought a few things; Justin actually bought some awesome neon pink bathing trunks.  He’ll never shake the Florida style out of him.

After the market and a quick coffee we decided it would be a good day for renting Vespas. Justin and I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We rented two Vespas and road as pairs all the way around the island. We made frequent stops during our journey:  several random beaches, a bar to get a midday beer and lunch, a couple scenic overlooks, and a hiking trail that lead to a very old tower.

This particular tower was technically off limits to the general public and once we made the hike down we knew why. It was obviously a ruin that was barely standing. Someone had stopped repairing it and left the rafters circling the outer wall. The inside had massive holes that led to a dark pit and everything about it screamed fragility. We climbed up the construction rafters on the outside and made it all the way to the top.  Navigating the loose stairs and creaking metal flooring was well worth it to see the incredible view of the island, one I’m sure hadn’t been seen in some time. From the top of the tower we noticed that the beach didn’t seem too far away.  Hanna said there was about a “twenty minute” hike down the cliff to the beach below. After several hiking excursions we all started to joke that “twenty minutes” was Hanna’s go-to answer for any time we asked how long something would take.  In this particular case, twenty minutes was a gross understatement. At some point we evidently veered right when we should have veered left. This “hike” turned out to not have a path and was covered with thick bushes that included briars and thorns. Somehow our “twenty minute hike” turned into about an hour and a half journey to the bottom. Eventually, however, we did make it to a remote beach with a large rock alcove and an endless supply of skipping stones. After depleting our water bottles and having a quick snack we then decided to head back to the Vespas. Did I mention it was almost an hour and a half long hike down? Well, going back up was a bit harder on the lungs, but it didn’t take as long to go up since we used the same path as the way down. Hanna and I did do a small detour where we ended up stuck in some briers and had to turn around and get back on the original path. But fortunately, we survived. By the end of it all we all were covered in scratches, filthy, thirsty, salty, sore, and ready for a break.  Despite the difficult journey, looking back it was a fun adventure finding our way down to the secluded beach.

On the way back we made a few more scenic stops and swung by one of the local harbors and picked out our future mega-yachts while they were at anchor.  In all, when we finally arrived back home to have dinner, shower, and go to bed we realized we had been touring with the Vespas for about 12 hours. Don’t worry mom, I wore sunscreen.

Day 5:

After breakfast, we returned the Vespas to the store. We packed snacks and went out to “our” rock to lay out and swim.  It was in insanely hot day and we had spent a lot more time in the water.  We didn’t stay out on the rock as long as we typically did because we knew we had a extra special dinner ahead of us that would take a while to cook...

On the back of Hanna and Roberto’s house there is large brick over made especially for cooking pizzas.  Cooking homemade pizza in Italy sounds too good to be true, but it was everything Hanna had talked it up to be.  Hanna made the pizza dough from scratch and rolled it out onto four separate pizza pans. We each created our own using an assortment of toppings that we had picked up from the store earlier.  Just so you can better imagine how delicious these pizzas were, the toppings we used to create our personal pizzas included olives, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, onion, artichokes, salami, prosciutto, anchovies (only Roberto used these), and of course cheese and sauce. Roberto and Justin spent a couple of hours prepping the fire in the brick oven and getting it perfectly hot for cooking. While we waiting we played some more Foosball.  Unfortunately the guys won this time and the prize was massages.  Hanna and I still haven’t given them their massages, so I guess they are nicer than we are.

Once the fire in the over was ready, the guys cooked the pizza perfectly. I looked and the pizza with its pile of toppings, crunchy crust, and bubbling cheese and knew it would be the greatest pizza I’d ever taste. And it was. After each of us finished eating our respective pizzas, we had no choice but to relax and go to sleep. It’s probably unnatural to be that full.

Day 6:

Hanna had suggested that we go for a hike up to the highest peak on Monte Argentario and we all, even Roberto with much reluctance, agreed. After the challenging hike earlier in the week we were all a bit reluctant to get lost in another adventure again, but this hike was only supposed to take about two or three hours round trip, but that estimate may have been a bit inaccurate. The path that we chosen during our advance planning was working beautifully until suddenly a large fence blocked off the path and we had to improvise an alternate route.  At times this new path was more of a hunting trail through the thicket than an actual hiking path. The scratches on my legs were finally looking better from the last hike we took, but that didn’t last long. Thorns tore through us as we made our way through paths that probably haven’t been pruned in years.  We saw approximately a thousand shot gun bullet casings and even a wild boar skull. The hike was tedious and exhausting and yet, it was exhilarating to stand at the top of the mountain and know we were seeing something that few people had.

At the peak there was a strange gated cellar where cold air was blowing from. We tried to figure out what it was with no luck, but stood there cooling off nonetheless. We headed back down and Roberto’s GPS watch told us that we had hiked about 20 kilometers that day.   Since our hike ended at a different point than it began, Roberto decided to hitchhike back to the car so he could come pick us up. Despite my reservations with allowing him to do this, it was so nice to be picked up by the air conditioned car cutting off a couple more kilometers of hiking.

That evening we had hamburgers and French fries for dinner. Then, us ladies headed for bed while the guys went down to the sea for a night swim. The next day we found out they had seen glowing plankton moving around their bodies as they were swimming. It sounded pretty wonderful.

Day 7:

Today we slept in later than usual and had brunch rather than breakfast. We spent the entire day at the rock enjoying the perfectly clear sky and cool water. That evening we went to the fish market and bought some fish and mussels. Roberto made some the greatest steamed mussels I’ve ever had as an appetizer.  Then we had grilled fish, ratatouille, and polenta. The meal was tasty as usual. Later that evening we went Porto Saito Stefano to watch Germany beat Greece in soccer.  Hanna sported her Germany jersey and cheered on her favorite team. We enjoyed some gelato and sat and talked the remainder of the evening. It was an uneventful, yet relaxing day.

Day 8:

Today we went to a different market in Bortello which is the on the main land across from the island. This time we were able to take our time a bit more and the guys found a coffee shop to sit in while we walked around. Hanna and I both found some great deals of clothes and jewelry and splurged slightly.

After the market we went to the grocery store and then headed home to sit on the rock by the water for a few hours. Eight days into our trip we had yet to see a cloud or drop of rain. I’ve never experienced such flawless weather and every free moment we had was spent by the water. The heat was a little overwhelming, and every sip of fresh and ice cold coke was like a tiny slice of heaven.

That evening we headed back to Bortello for dinner at the cutest little restaurant. We had pizza that didn’t stand up to the quality of the homemade pizzas at home, but were still very tasty. After dinner we headed to a nearby bar called Bar Russl and watched the Spain versus France soccer game. Justin was rocking his Spain jersey and it paid off because Spain played brilliantly and won the game. We then headed home and went to bed.

Day 9:

Today was rather uneventful, but don’t mistake that for anything less than perfect. We slept in, laid on the rock all day, climbed the rocks from our rock to another beach nearby, cooked and ate some scrumptious lasagna for dinner, and watched the Italy vs. England game in town. Though our rock climbing was fun, I did manage to slip and scratch my stomach and let on some jagged rocks.  Fortunately, this wasn’t enough to keep me from jumping off the largest rock yet and into the cool water below.

That evening, all of us were cheering for Italy to win and were ecstatic when they managed to beat England and secure their place in the semifinals.  The crowds that were sparse last week were suddenly paying attention to the tournament and a small crowd had gathered to chant their victory cries. Beyond that, the evening was spent enjoying some gelato (again J) and heading home to relax before bed.

Day 10:

Hanna has very ambitious ideas and she really was the one to plan and facilitate our events. Sometimes we moaned and groaned but in the end we always ended up happy with our journeys. She had this idea of taking the four-person kayak out for a long tour around some of the island and to explore a few of the many caves. We started off from the beach nearby and headed east along the coast. Roberto and Justin did most of the paddling, although Hanna and I would try to paddle sporadically, inefficiently, and never for more than a few minutes.

At almost every small beach that we spotted we would pull the kayak ashore and do a little relaxing and exploring before beginning the trip again. Each time we came around a curve there seemed to be something new and exciting to behold. The best part was undeniably the caves. The mouths of some of the caves were enormous and sharp and would wind back into the darkness of the mountain behind.  Each cave was covered in stalactites and stalagmites and the caves carried a cool, refreshing breeze in their alcoves.  Hanna, Roberto, and Justin were a bit more daring that I was feeling and were constantly searching for the perfect rock ledge to jump from.  They would find one, snorkel around the make sure it was deep enough, climb the rock, and fearlessly leap to the water below.  It was quite intense watching them make jumps that very few people, if anyone, had ever made.

We never stayed anywhere long and were compelled by our desire to see and experience more. We regretted not bringing the camera with us because of the endless photographic moments we encountered. After making it to the final cave that Hanna had set as a goal for us, we then turned around and paddled back. The wind had decided to pick up and we were suddenly battling some choppy waves.  Poor Hanna had to brave the bow of the boat where she was slowly being drowned by the vicious rapids. The guys with their sore arms, Hanna with her chilled body, and me with sunburnt skin pulled ashore exhausted and ready for some more homemade pizza and a night of card games.

We played a card came called Asshole. If you’ve never played the game before let me know and we’ll show you how it’s done.  But essentially, the objective of each round is to get rid of all of your cards first.  If you do, then you are name “President” and the ranking continue down from there to the last place person who becomes the “Asshole”, hence the name of the game.  The President has supreme power over everyone and after two consecutive reigns can make a rule for the following game. We all made rules when we could, but Hanna somehow always came up with the best (and cruelest) of ideas. The one that was most memorable was the one where she said we weren’t allowed to say the work “like”, or we would have to strip and run around the building.  I wish I were making this up, but I’m not. Justin was the first to fail at this endeavor and actually was actually the only person who caught his mistake.  He went outside in the dark and ran around the house completely naked.  It was priceless.  Up to this point I hadn’t said “like” because I was choosing not to speak at all. Asking an American to not to say “like” is like (see?) being asked not to breathe. The one sentence that I tried to say I failed and also had to run around the house.  Don’t worry everyone, nobody could see us because it was completely dark, but it was still quite embarrassing. Roberto finally slipped as well and had to endure the punishment.  Hanna, the President, came out flawless and was able to enjoy the spectacle. The evening was full of laughter and fun.

Day 11:

Roberto’s birthday finally arrived!  After spending most of the day on the rock we went back to the house and Hanna gave Roberto his birthday present.  She got him one of those nifty shirt folders that appeared on The Big Bang Theory. I’m sure this will continue to fuel Roberto’s OCD. She also gave him a voucher for golf lessons that he had been hoping to purchase.  Evidently being allowed to golf in Switzerland requires a certificate to show that you have been trained by a pro and are certified in gold etiquette.  Roberto was quite pleased with the gift and he and Justin immediately began making plans to take lessons together in the coming months.

That evening we did a small hike to some nearby ruins and had an apero picnic.  It was not surprise that the view was breathtaking, especially when we watched the sun set over the horizon.  We ended the evening by going out to eat and enjoying the beautiful weather. Hanna, Roberto, and Justin even jumped in the water for a little late night, skinny dipping with the glow in the fluorescent plankton still visible in the water.

Day 12, 13 and the journey home:

The entirety of day 12 was spent on the rock soaking up the sun and wishing it wouldn’t go by so quickly.  We cooked dinner and played cards until our bodies collapsed in bed with exhaustion. 

The following day, after our usual visit to the rock, we ate dinner and then headed out to watch the semi-final soccer match at one of the local bars. Italy was playing Germany with Germany favored to win. Regardless, Roberto and I proudly sported our Italy gear, Hanna had her Germany jersey, and Justin decided to cheer for Germany since his team, Spain, was already in the finals. After a hard fought match, which sometime seemed one sided, Italy pulled off the win.  The locals were so excited over the win that there was an absolute riot of fans in downtown Porto Santo Stefano. People were stripping down and jumping in the water, tearing street signs out of the ground, driving the wrong way on one-way streets honking their horns, dancing, and chanting.  Justin managed to catch all the excitement on video and even he and Hanna couldn’t deny that seeing the aftermath of Italy’s victory was a lot of fun. We all went home to pack, get a night of sleep, and make the drive home on the following day.