Beautiful Barcelona - 5 luglio, 2015

Everyone I know who has visited Barcelona seems to decide that it is their new favorite city. We were anxious to see what everyone was talking about so when our friend Lauren visited us, we joined her for a long weekend there. We weren't disappointed; it is a vibrant and exciting place that amazed us with its colorful public art, bodacious architecture and welcoming neighborhoods. All of this and easy access to clean, beautiful public beaches along the Mediterranean Sea.

Dave and I flew with Lauren and her sister Erin on EasyJet from Milan direct to Barcelona. Though AirBnB we rented a 2 bedroom apartment for three nights in El Born neighborhood. It was an adventure figuring out how to get into the apartment after first picking up the key in a bar across the street and then entering a rather scary entrance hall and trying to figure out which apartment was ours. We were pleasantly surprised to find a spacious and comfortable space inside that was right in the middle of all the action. The pedestrian street below us was filled with people until 3 AM.

Looking out from our apartment

Street view from our balcony.

To begin to understand the culture of Barcelona, one must understand the culture of Catalonia as it exists within Spain. Catalan is a primary language spoken (along with Spanish) and there is great pride in the Catalonian heritage as evidenced by the many flags we saw displayed. The  Summer Olympics of 1992 which were held in Barcelona, not only helped the city modernize and gain international acclaim, it allowed the Catalan culture to become more recognized on an international level.

Tapas - small plates shared at dinner

We explored the city the first day by taking the "hop on-hop off" bus tour. Sitting in the open top of the double decker bus gave us a great view of the neighborhoods as we criss-crossed the city. The next day, we went by foot and by metro back to the places that piqued our interest. The main attraction for most visitors is the late architect Antonio Gaudi's unfinished cathedral, La Sagrada Família. At first glance it looks like a huge sandcastle made of dripping sand. The intricate detail of the facades becomes clear as one approaches the church but it is somewhat disconcerting that it is still very much under construction. The interior is nearly completed and is stunning as the sunlight coming in the stained glass windows absolutely fills the space with vividly colored illumination. 

After the cathedral, one can't help but be captivated by Gaudi's spirit of creativity. We visited several of his other creations (Le Pedrera and Casa Batlló) as well as Park Guell which is an entire outdoor space designed by him. Throughout the city, we saw many other unique buildings with bold architecture  and interesting details. The colors and whimsical nature in combination with the sunshine of Barcelona make it seem like a very positive and creative environment. The streets and beaches were crowded with tourists who also all seemed to be in love with Barcelona. 

Sagrada Família - a work in process

Breathtaking interior of Sagrada Famiiia

Le Pedrera (Gaudi) 1906, also known as "the rock pile"

Casa Batlló (Gaudi) 1877, 1904

Reminder of the 1992 Olympic games held in Barcelona

Born neighborhood

 

Building castells or human towers are a Catalan tradition.

Park Guell

Reminded me of Dr. Seuss

Even our airport hotel had edgy architecture

Getting High in Engelberg - 24 guigno, 2015

It all started with a story that Kris saw on the Today show on U.S. television. The feature was promoting the opening of the "world's highest suspension bridge" in Switzerland. When I spoke to Kris about her upcoming trip to see us, she expressed her desire to see the bridge. I did some research and pinpointed the location of this "cliff walk" on Mt Titlis, which is the highest peak in the Uri Alps in central Switzerland. I made reservations in the nearby village of Engelberg and was happy when Dave decided he wanted to join us as well.

It took several hours to drive to Engelberg from Como on the motorway through the Alps of southern Switzerland. Engelberg is a scenic ski town in the winter but in the summer, it is filled with colorful flowers beckoning tourists seeking adventure and mountain air. The next morning started off with low clouds and sporadic rain so we decided to hop on one of the bright red trains for the hour ride to the Lucerne. Despite the gloomy weather, we had a great time exploring this beautiful lakeside city surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The old wooden covered bridges crossing the river Reuss are the oldest in Europe; the Chapel Bridge was originally built in 1333. Flowers cascade all along the edges which brightened up the gray day. We all were especially moved by the Lion Monument in a city park which commemorates the death of hundreds of Swiss guards during the French Revolution.

The stormy day moved though which set the stage for beautiful weather the next day on the mountain. The day dawned sparkling clear as we rode the cable car system up Mt. Titlis, the mountain name which made us all giggle.  The last of the three cable cars was a revolving gondola that rose above a glacier to a height of 3,238 meters or 10,623 ft. At the top, we had a glorious and unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains. We walked through a tunnel carved through the ice to the actual bridge which allowed us to walk on a chain link type structure for about 100 meters above ice and snow 500 meters below.  We had much in common with all the Asian tourists who seemed to enjoy the photo opportunities in the snow as much as we did. 

Photo by Dave Hoopes

Our hotel host recommended the "sunny side" of Engelberg when we requested a suggestion for hiking. After descending Mt. Titlis, we went to the other side of the valley and rode the Brunni cable car up into the high alpine meadow land. We had fun sharing the trails with cows and seeing parasailors floating in the air currents above us. Somehow we decided to walk through a "kitzelpfad" (literal translation - titillation trail), a wellness trail for one's feet. This involved removing our socks and shoes, walking through sequential boxes of various textured materials such as moss, pebbles, wet peat moss, mud, and wooden slats interspersed with walks through the edge of the very cold mountain lake water. We aren't sure if our feet benefited from this unusual experience but we know it was one of the funniest and bizarre scenes in our trip. The beautiful mountain day ended with us enjoying a late lunch on the terrace of the Brunnihutte restaurant high on the mountain. Breathe in, breathe out - getting high on nature in Switzerland feels great.

In Search of the Tuscan Sun - 21 guigno, 2015

When the planets finally aligned and I realized three of my closest Ohio girlfriends would be able to visit me in June, I knew I had to plan something special. Last fall, a friend in Como recommended a small agriturisimo in Tuscany which sounded perfect so even though it was eight months away, I made reservations for us there. An agriturisimo is a working farm that also provides lodging and meals to guests. In Tuscany, these are a popular way to highlight the wines, olive oils and specialty food items of the region.

We went by train to Pisa where we stayed overnight in an elegant old residence with three guest rooms. It was in walking distance of the Torre Pendente, or as we know it, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Many people assume that this popular tourist destination is a tacky cliché but we all found it to be a fun and beautiful place to visit. We climbed the dizzying 296 steps and admired the view of the Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), Duomo and the Baptistry. Down below, we joined the joyful crowds intent on capturing the perfect photo of a relative holding up the leaning tower or trying to create an amusing optical illusion. It is an iconic sight for people from all over the world.

Enjoying the train ride

Torre Pendante

(Photo by fellow tourist)

From Pisa, we rented a car and drove into the countyside. We stuck to the back roads and enjoyed the views of rolling hills covered with vineyards and silhouetted cypress trees. We found our destination, Fattoria Poggia Allora to be in an idyllic location overlooking the medieval town and towers of San Gimignano. Poggia Allora is a working farm with chickens, cattle, vegetable gardens, olive groves and of course vineyards. Our rooms were comfortably basic but who spends time in the room when the landscape of Tuscany and a swimming pool are calling your name. 

View of San Gimignano from the farm

View from one of the San Gimignano medieval towers

The four course dinners were served family style at long tables on the terrace while we enjoyed the delicious, organically grown food and wine and the sunset unfolding before us. It was both stimulating and luxuriously relaxing at the same time. We sipped our wine while the beautiful evening slowly surrounded us.

The second afternoon there, we took a cooking class with the dynamic young woman Sarah Fioroni who is a 3rd generation family owner and the executive chef / sommelier. She shared her knowledge and enthusiasm of  the perfect ingredients and techniques for making fresh pasta, bruschetta, and tiramasu. Later at dinner, the items we helped prepare showed up on our table and we could proudly take partial credit for our part in the delicious meal. 

We bid farewell to our new friends (and spent a few euro on several cases of Tuscan wine) and headed back to Pisa so we could catch our train back up north. We had lamented on the way there that we were just a little too early to see the sunflower fields in bloom. As if on cue, we rounded a curve and found a field newly blooming in vivid yellow. Like schoolgirls, we rolled out of the car to capture the moment and have one last Tuscan memory.

Our host, Sarah Fioroni

Learning to make pasta "fatto di mano" (made by hand)

Gloriously "slow"food

twilight view

girasole (sunflowers)

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