Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sharing the Love - 29 maggio

I hope it is obvious to anyone reading this blog, that I am enchanted by Northern Italy. I consider the fact that I have had the opportunity to live here for almost two years to be a beautiful and unexpected gift. I have also felt a little guilty that I have been able to explore this area and have had some very unique experiences while Dave has gone off to work everyday and our Ohio friends were dealing with snow and frigid temperatures this past winter. So when friends have shown up from home this spring, it has made life here even more sweet. It bridges the gap between our previous life in the suburbs of the midwest with our current life here in an apartment in the center of an old European town. We catch up on news of our friends and former colleagues and dream together of future adventures.
Villa Del Balbianello in Lenno (with Claudia and Bob)

This year's tourist season has begun in earnest and the Hoopes' Bed and Breakfast has been fully booked. The Italian word for guest is ospite which is related through its Latin root to our English word hospitality, the friendly reception and treatment of guests. So we have tried to show hospitality to our ospiti by taking them to our special places, introducing them to some of our new friends and eating together at our favorite restaurants. It means a lot to us that our friends can experience a part of our everyday life here in Como. We have tried to share both our normal routine and errands as well as sightseeing and taking hikes to some scenic places. Here are some photos of friends who have visited in the past month. We are looking forward to more visitors throughout the summer and we hope all of our guests will enjoy it here as much as we do. 

Jane and Bill on a trail above Moltrasio


Apertivo on the balcony


Claudia and Bob - San Salvadore above Lake Lugano


Everyone has to sit on the Como Hands


Castelgrande - Bellinzona (Switzerland) 


Susan and Terry - hiking above Zermatt


Enjoying a cappuccino and a view of the Matterhorn.  (Photo by fellow tourist)


Terry and Susan with us in the "tunnel of love", railway ferry (thanks to the selfie stick)


Terry hiking to Piazzaga


Dave and Tim - Lake Orta


Justin, Dave, Robin & Tim - Life is Good

Friday, May 29, 2015

Italian Driving License Part 2 - 6 maggio, 2015

So I passed the scary Patente (Driver's License) written theory test but then one more obstacle loomed in front of me....I needed to pass the road test. Before I was allowed to take it, I needed to take a series of driving lessons with an auto school instructor. I have never seen that requirement written anywhere, but it seems virtually impossible to register for the road test without being accompanied by one's instructor. The schools all require that you pay for and complete a minimum of six hours of driving.

I spent two hours once a week for three weeks with Gianluca, my thirty-something hipster instructor driving around the narrow, curvy roads of Lombardia. We got off to a bit of a rough start as he spoke only Italian and he thought I drove a little too fast. I thought I was supposed to drive with the normal pace of traffic in town but apparently he was used to the timid teenagers starting out at a crawl. Later he admitted to me that I was the oldest student he had ever had (!) but we both adjusted and survived the process. I was at the mercy of their scheduling process so after my last lesson, I still had to wait three weeks to have a reservation to take the test. That is not easy for an impatient American.

I really had no idea of what to expect but I certainly did not realize that I would be tied up for 8 hours. I rode out to the motorizzione (license bureau) with my instructor and two other students but there we met up with three others making a total of six of us. And yes, the other five were teenagers so I could have actually been their grandmother. The exam had three parts - a verbal test on the engine and instruments, a maneuverability section, and a driving session including time on the autostrada (motorway). I was shocked to realize that for each section, the examiner tested one person at a time while the rest of us waited. He spent about 10 minutes with each person on the questions, then about 15 minutes at another location on maneuverability, including parking, backing up, u-turn, etc. Two hours had passed by then and even though one student had failed and left the group, I realized that this would be a very long day. 

The examiner asking technical questions about the car

Everyone waits while one person is tested on maneuverability
Once we started the actual "on-the-road" test, we all were squeezed into one of the auto school cars with an instructor while we followed the car with the student being tested. Oddly, the student's instructor sat in the right front seat and the examiner sat in the back seat. We were told we should not wear sunglasses so the examiner could see where our eyes were looking. As one can imagine, the quirkiness of the entire process made me more nervous than I should have been. Each student drove for about 30 - 40 minutes, on country roads, highways and through tiny, old villages with one way streets and unfamiliar configurations. Luckily, the remaining students all passed and came back to the "chase car" gleefully clutching their pink plastic cards. Since they were all 18 year olds, pop music was blaring and elated phone calls were being made to parents which actually made for an enjoyable but lengthy late afternoon.

For three hours, we followed the car with the student being tested.
I was the second to last and after all the drama of the past four months, my session seemed rather uneventful. Perhaps the examiner (who apparently has the reputation for being slow and obsessive with details) felt an affinity with me as an older adult or was finally ready for a nap because I also passed  and he handed me my shiny Patente. We took a moment for photos with Gianluca before dispersing and the kids seemed genuinely happy for me as well. I am now a legal driver in Italy!
My new best friends

Gianluca and his oldest student

Priceless