Zurich - Don't let me be lonely tonight - 9 marzo, 2015

While I continue to see my life here as an adventure to be experienced, Dave reminds me that he is not on vacation. And it is true, expats are living in their adopted country because of their employment status and Dave's work commitments define our life here. Usually we can plan our excursions on weekends and his scheduled time off, but this week the concert that I purchased tickets for eight months ago unfortunately fell on on a Sunday night in Zurich, Switzerland, a four drive away from Como. When we realized that Dave would not be able to miss work on Monday, I looked for a friend who might want to go to the concert with me. No one seemed as excited as I was about the prospect of going to see James Taylor in another city so I realized this would be a solo journey.

The high speed trains reminds me of a reptile.

 I located a hotel in Zurich down the street from the concert venue and booked a train ticket. The three and half hour high speed train ride there was one of the most scenic train trips I have been on as the route crossed Lake Lugano and then traveled through the Alps and along Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug. I had contacted one of Dave's Swedish cousins who had recently relocated to Zurich to see if we could connect. She and her daughter met me at the Central train station and we spent the afternoon together. We joined the other city dwellers enjoying the early spring sunshine and ate outside at a Lebanese cafe. Her adorable daughter, Clara made me realize how I miss having children in my everyday life as she turned cartwheels on the sidewalk and drew pictures for us on the placemat. We had a lovely walk around the city center until they had to head home. I enjoyed looking at the architecture and streetscapes and walked to the lakefront. Zurich, even though it is the largest city in Switzerland, felt compact and safe.

Clara and Anna welcomed me to Zurich.

Lake Zurich

After checking into my hotel, I walked over to the Kongresshaus where the concert was. As I joined the others going in, I felt like I had found "my people". I could hear others talking of when and where they had first seen James Taylor play (yep, for me that was in Athens, Ohio in 1972) and as usual I felt dismayed to realize that "my people" are all looking decidedly more mature than at the last concert I attended. I asked at the ticket booth if I was allowed to try and sell Dave's unused ticket and was shocked when they offered to sell it for me. A few minutes after I sat down (in a great seat I might add, near the front), a Swiss man came and sat down in the empty seat next to me. He told me he had just bought the ticket and was told to let me know the money was waiting for me at the ticket booth.  I was impressed that they sold the ticket at full price and gave it all back to me. But the funniest part was my new seat partner introduced himself and his name was Dave!

The concert was vintage James Taylor and exactly what I had hoped for. The Swiss audience was, as I had been warned by the new Dave, more subdued that I am used to but that paid off when near the intermission, the back-up singers encouraged people to come down front and only about 25 or 30 of us did. I got that front row view for the last few songs and then was able to be in the group of people that James greeted and took photos with during the break. It was one of those times, that being alone in a crowd was actually a pretty awesome place to be be.

This morning, I spent time walking along the lake and wandering around the old town before I caught the train back to Como.  I knew my Dave would have really enjoyed the city and my visit with Anna (and James) so I look forward to the next trip when I will have a traveling partner again.

James Taylor and his band

Ciaspolata sotto la luna piena - 5 marzo, 2015

Snowshoe hike under a full moon.

I had a dream last night that I was walking in the snow in the darkness through a beautiful forest ..... and then I realized I wasn't sleeping.  I was with six of my friends and a guide hiking above Alpe di Blessagno with the promise of a full moon and a late evening meal in a mountain agriturisimo. The experience started out a little shaky, I couldn't see anything, the trail was uneven and my one snowshoe kept coming unfastened. (Note to self: next time - practice putting a snowshoe back on when you can still see what you're doing and pack a headlamp.) But after about a half hour of hiking through some areas without snow cover and picking up leaves, sticks and other forest debris with my clown-size feet, we came up over a snowy hill just as the full moon was rising over the mountains. The combination of the reflective snow and the moonlight was magical as we could see for miles. 

Ciaspole - Italian word for snowshoes

Starting our hike at twilight

We hiked up a steep hill, then down a saddle area and up again to a promontory overlooking Lake Como. The wind was intense but we had a stunningly clear 360 degree panoramic view way past Bellagio to the north, over Lugano to the west and even to the glow of Milano to our south. The lake below us looked frozen in the reflection of the moonlight. In the chaos of trying to hold on to our belongings and not slide over the hill, I had my camera on the wrong settings so alas, I returned home with a bunch of out of focus photos. The clear picture will remain only in my memory.

This outing was Sigrun's idea.

Bettina, Sigrun, Christine, Karen and Jeanne  (photo by Tim Ogle)

Looking down on Lake Como

Heading down

Fixing snowshoes on the side of a mountain.

The hike down was steep but the snowshoes did their job and kept us on the surface of the snow crust. The moon was higher in the sky which made the return trip back easier and less spooky. Our guide was patient and my companions supportive so my three hour adventure had a happy ending.  And even though it was about 9:30 when we returned to Le Radici (the agriturisimo), we sat and enjoyed a leisurely dinner of their local products, including a big bowl of pizzocheri.  At midnight, all seven of us packed into the owner's little truck for a ride back down to the village. Goodnight moon!

Ahhh, we made it.

An ordinary yet extraordinary day - 6 febbraio, 2015

La cura per la noia è la curiosità 

(The cure for boredom is curiosity - Dorothy Parker)

It snowed last night, so this morning I decided to go exploring with my camera. I took the traghetto up the lake about 7 kilometers to a small village called Torno. I was the only passenger on  the outgoing ferry and when I disembarked a few minutes later, I realized that I was pretty much alone in Torno too. The man who helped me off the boat disappeared into his shed and other than a few people working around the village, it was very quiet. The snow was still visible on the hillsides but it had melted near the lake with the light drizzle of rain that was falling. I gave up on capturing a Lake Como snow scene.

But for me, this is when I remembered all over again what I love about my experience here. Most days, I have fallen into a routine of daily life in which I often forget that I am far from home and living in a foreign country. Life feels pretty normal to me again. But on this day, I had time to wander by myself and see this place through fresh eyes. I peered through gates at elegant villas and neglected formal gardens. I was walking on pathways and stone stairs that have been a part of the village for hundreds of years. I turned down a narrow lane, ducked my head under a low stone archway and came upon a small, deserted piazza. One stone staircase led directly into the water of the lake. The few people I encountered spoke to me in Italian and I was able to understand them and reply in turn.  The day was damp and dreary but I saw beauty and a history around every corner. 

I love to think about how this village comes back to life when the weather warms and the seasonal crowds of  summer residents and tourists return. During a previous visit, we watched a wedding party celebrate in the piazza by this harbor. I have brought friends here and we sat in the sun and enjoyed people-watching while we ate gelato.  I will have more visitors who I hope will love this place too. But today, I had all the time I wanted to see it close up and at my own pace. I had this beautiful old place to myself.

Approaching Torno on the ferry

Skiing in the Dolomites - 6 gennaio, 2015

There is a mountain range in the southern Alps known at the Dolomites (Dolomiti in Italian). It is an area that used to be part of Austria but after World War, became part of Italy and there is still a strong Austrian culture with German language and traditions. Our Italian friends recommended a lovely area called Alpi di Siusi for skiing, so we drove there for a post-Christmas visit for each of the past two years.

Alpe means pasture and this area is now a World Heritage site because it is the largest alpine meadow in Europe. The cows and goats who graze here are moved to lower pastures for the winter. Many of the farmhouses and small barns are still present but some are now restaurants and lodges for skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer. As at most European winter resorts, downhill skiing co-exists with winter hiking, sledding, nordic skiing and horse-drawn carriage rides.

 The Schlern (Dec. 2013)

A view so beautiful we decided to use it for our Christmas card

Last year (Christmas 2013), our daughter Annie was visiting from the United States so she was able to join us. We stayed at a small family-run hotel in the countryside outside of Suisi which provided both breakfast and dinner each day. The staff spoke German and Italian and most of our fellow guests were German speaking. Each morning, we caught a bus which took us to the cable car that goes up to the ski area. The day that we arrived, the region received over one meter of snow so the conditions were fantastic.

Annie's visit - December 2013  (photo by kind stranger)

This year (Christmas 2014), our son Patrick and his wife Lizzie came to visit from Colorado but were not able to bring the snowy weather with them. There has not been much snow in the Dolomites yet this year but even a mediocre snow day here is beautiful. We stayed in an apartment hotel in Castelrotto which is about 7 kilometers by car to the cable car. The trip was made even better when we met up with friends from Como who shared some delicious meals with us.

Patrick and Lizzie's visit - December 2014

A nice way to get back to your hotel.

The Dolomites have a characteristic jagged shape and pastel color

Riding up in the cloud (2013)

Annie above the cloud

Musicians waiting for the chairlift.

Entertainment at the Castelrotto Christmas market

The town of Castelrotto (Kastelruth in German)

A reminder that these are pastures in the summer.

Natale (Christmas) 2104 - 31 decembre, 2014

We celebrated our second Christmas in Italy with our son Patrick and his wife Lizzie.  They arrived from the United States on Christmas Eve so their first view of Como was in the glow of holiday light displays. We went to our favorite traditional family-run restaurant in Moltrasio for Christmas dinner and enjoyed a walk together after dinner on the panoramic trail.  The day after Christmas is also a holiday here (St Stephen's Day) so we took the train to Milan and visited the cathedral (Duomo) and the Galleria. It was a sparkling blue sky day so we took advantage of the stair climb to the roof of the cathedral where we could see the snow covered Alps in the distance. 

Light display on Duomo and Teatro Sociale

Primi piatti (1st course) of Christmas dinner at Fagiano's

Patrick and Lizzie in Moltrasio (Christmas Day)

Milan Cathedral (Duomo)

On the roof of the Duomo

Galleria Vittoria Emanuel II

I have also enjoyed seeing the elaborate Nativity displays (in Italian "precepe") that are prominently displayed in many public places. Since there is no separation of church and state in Italy, these are often found in banks, train stations and restaurants. They range from elaborate ceramic figures to handmade creations. My favorite this year was the one at the bakery created inside of a loaf of bread. Overall, Christmas in Como seems to be less commercialized and more family oriented so I felt very lucky to have had family visitors here with whom to share it.

Basilica di San Fedele

Milano Nord Cadorna train station

Antica Panificio (made from bread)

Suora Giulia - Casa Vincenziana