Product Review Recap

A few thoughts about the products I reviewed in January. I promised a recap once I had actually used them and here it is.

One of the first posts in this series is about some travel gear that I bought.  I gave my initial impression of the gear with a promise to revisit them once this trip was over so here goes.

The Magellan VaultPro Convertible backpack.  Magellan describes the bag as, ”Carried over your shoulder, sling-style, or on your back, this sleek, ultra-secure bag is the ultimate in convenience for travel. Security features include stainless steel cable-reinforced, slash-proof straps, RFID-blocking card slots, and lockable zippers. Perfectly sized to hold an iPad or another tablet it has three zippered compartments for accessories, plus plenty of pouches and pockets to keep you organized. It even includes a detachable mini LED flashlight for easy identification of contents. Made of durable crinkle nylon. (12½ x 10¼ x 3½'; 15 oz).” My initial review discussed some negatives with the bag, such as the iPad compartment lining being zipped into the zipper, and the two small snaps which keep the bag together being broken from the get-go, and for the price of the bag these are definitely negatives, but all in all the bag is great.  I am a generally aware traveller.  I know that I need to be aware of my surroundings and who is in them at all times.  I am also aware that there are places that you need to be hyper-vigilant like Rome and Paris, but this bag took the guesswork out of purse security.  I locked up my zippers with the hooks and slung my bag on my back, something I wouldn’t normally do in places like Rome or Paris, and went on my merry way.  I felt several nudges and bumps over the course of my trip and even found the front flap of the bag open a few times, but the “fiddly” little hooks for the bag did their job and nothing was ever missing from my bag.  I wouldn’t say it would allow you to be laissez-faire about your belongings but it did provide a certain level of comfort.  I added a larger carabiner to the handle to be able to hook the bag to chairs and tables and this would be a good addition to the general design but overall the bag is really good.  Another thing I didn’t really like was the over-the-shoulder strap.  I may be totally round-shouldered but this was very uncomfortable and the bag wouldn’t stay on my shoulder.  I found it to be a bit better if I unzipped the straps and used only one, but I don’t think that was the design.  I also have to say that I did not carry it cross-body so I couldn’t report on that style.  As a backpack, it is quite comfortable even when filled with daily essentials like a water bottle and my iPad, wallet, and camera.  Speaking of water bottles the bag would be better if there was a dedicated water bottle pouch on the outside of the bag. The material is durable and washable, a few times I got dirt on the bottom from setting it down but it wiped right off.  I would recommend this bag if you are worried about having your wallet stolen.

Magellan's Vault Pro Convertible Back Pack

The other big purchase that I made was new luggage.  My former set of bright red Swiss Gear that my dad bought me had finally seen one too many flights and we really needed to upgrade.  I reported on was the 25” and 29” Genius Pack hard side spinners. As Genius Pack describes them, "We designed this crush-proof luggage to infuse hard-side design with our signature "genius" features. We're proud to release the first hard-side luggage with an interior organizational panel. Extremely lightweight & durable. Roll 360 degrees with 8 silent-gliding spinner wheels. Click in the zipper pullers to the integrated combination lock. Interior panel engineered with designated category compartments, permanent packing checklist to ensure you packed it all, and secluded laundry compartment to keep your unclean clothes secluded. Relax & let your luggage do the work with this innovative hassle-free solution! If you're packing it- there's a spot for it." I have to say that I love this luggage! The integrated pockets were amazing, no need to root around in your luggage for socks or undies, and the pockets keep piddly little things all in one same place.  I liked the zippered separate laundry compartment that keeps dirty laundry away from clean and your clothes smelling fresh.  I still prefer the four-point cinch system to the elastic in this bag but while using packing cubes it isn’t that big an issue. The only downside that I can actually report is that since the bag is so roomy it is actually easy to over-pack it and end up with overweight luggage.  Something I really had to watch. It has held up well through twelve flights this year alone and I am really loving the spinner wheels rather than having to drag my luggage through the airport.  Though the spinner wheels need to be a bit bigger if they are going to adequately tackle European cobbles. All in all, I think I will be looking for a sale at Genius Pack to purchase their 21” carry-on spinner. They retail for $248USD and $288USD, which is pricey for luggage but I waited for a sale and got both pieces for about $200USD. Worth the price in my opinion.

Genius Pack Interior

Another new product that we tried out on this trip is the High Altitude Flight Bag. Also from Genius Pack, they say it is an “Innovative patented design wraps around the airplane seat so you have quick access to all your flight needs. Recharge your smartphone directly from the pack by integrating the Portable Mobile Charger. Designated compartments for your iPad, magazines, headphones & more.”  Bought this bag for Brett as a Christmas present and it didn’t really look like much. A small-ish black nylon bag that had a number of small compartments in the front zippered pouch and a larger back section that held a tablet, magazines, etc. And then we used it and it is so amazing.  Using the integrated straps it wraps around the tray table in front of you.  It does not in any way affect the use of the tray table and it keeps all of the little things you might wish to have handy in one place. Earplugs, headphones, my kindle, the latest copy of The New Yorker, mints, and candies, my iPad etc., etc., etc..  Absolutely awesome bag. It comes with a shoulder strap so you can carry it alone on the flight if you desire.  Never flying again without our High Altitude Bag. Though with USB charging stations at most seats I don’t think I would recommend buying the integrated mobile charger.

High Altitude Flight Bag

Something else I don’t think I am ever travelling without is a set of packing cubes. Wow, can you stay organized with these little suckers.  I packed all of my clothes save for a single sweater into three packing cubes to help organize my luggage better.  In the large cube I packed; 4 pairs of pants, 2 skirts, 2 dresses, 2 pairs of leggings.  In the medium cube; 2 button-down blouses, 2 t-shirts, 3 coloured long-sleeved tops, 2 sleeveless t’s, and 2 turtlenecks.  I am not a small girl and I was shocked at how much fit into these cubes. I didn’t pack the largest cube and the smallest one held scarves, a light jacket, and bathing suit and cover-up.  Shocked at how useful these were.  Held up to daily use and kept me organized.

My Pink Packing Cubes

Okay, so this is already longer than I really wanted so more about lessons later.  

Cheers,

Rachel

Ordinary Oradour

By the looks of any road map, Oradour-sur-Glane in the French countryside outside Limoges is just another small French town. It doesn’t even have a major road to get to it, just a secondary one.  By any description, it looks like it will be another ordinary French town, and could easily be bypassed, without actually missing anything important.  But Oradour hides a secret that you would never know unless you visited, or unless you are like my husband and I and are very much interested in WWII history.

On June 10, 1944, some say in retaliation for the storming of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, the small village of Oradour sur Glane, in the Haute-Vienne region of France, was the site of a massacre and war crime. The village had been far from any centre of conflict, was not, nor had ever been an active resistance stronghold. Yet on that Saturday, starting at about 2:00 PM, men from the Der Führer Regiment of the 2nd Waffen SS Panzer Division Das Reich, drove into Oradour and killed everyone that they could find, a total of 642 men, women and children. The village was then looted and every building, set on fire. To this day there is no universally agreed explanation as to why they chose Oradour for their attack. All the principal characters on the SS side are now dead and the few French survivors of the village were not given any clues by the troops as to why they were acting as they were.

The 2nd Waffen SS Panzer Division Das Reich sealed off Oradour-sur-Glane and ordered all the inhabitants – and anyone who happened to be in or near the town – to assemble in the village square to have their identity papers examined. The SS also arrested several people who did not even live in the village but merely happened to be riding their bicycles through when the SS unit arrived.

The women and children were locked in the church and the village was looted. The men were led to six barns and sheds, throughout the village, where machine guns were already in place.  According to a survivor's account, the SS men then began shooting, aiming for their legs. When victims were unable to move, the Nazis covered them with fuel and set the barns on fire. Only six men managed to escape. One of them was later seen walking down a road and was shot dead. In all, 190 village men died.

The SS men next proceeded to the church and placed explosive devices beside it. When it was ignited, the women and children tried to escape through the doors and windows, only to be met with machine-gun fire. 247 women and 205 children were murdered. The only survivor was 47-year-old Marguerite Rouffanche. She escaped through a rear sacristy window, followed by a young woman and child.  All three of them were shot, two of them fatally. Marguerite crawled to some bushes and remained hidden overnight until she was found and rescued the next morning. About twenty villagers had fled Oradour-sur-Glane as soon as the SS unit had appeared. That night, the village was partially razed.

The SS unit then spent the rest of the weekend and all day Monday trying to get rid of the evidence.  Bodies were so badly burned that almost none of the 642 victims would be identified, making mourning and closure impossible for their families.  

After the war, General Charles de Gaulle decided the village should never be rebuilt but would remain a memorial to the cruelty of the Nazi occupation. From my understanding, no one was ever really held accountable for the massacre.

The new village of Oradour-sur-Glane has a population of about 2,475 citizens, northwest of the site of the massacre, was built after the war. The ruins of the original village remain as a memorial to the dead and to represent similar sites and events, throughout France and Europe.  Massacres were routine when the SS was in town.

Today I visited the Centre de la mémoire d'Oradour, opened in 1999 by then French president Jacques Chirac, near the entrance to the martyred village. It is the only way into the village and helps to put the events leading up to June 10th, into perspective. The museum includes items recovered from the burned buildings, personal effects, pocket knives, sewing thimbles, children's toys, glass bottles melted from the fires, and watches stopped at the time their owners were burned alive.  Most powerfully someone has spent a great deal of time amassing pictures of the victims of the village and village life from around the time of June 10, 1944.  These pictures show a vibrant village, with weddings, store openings, cafe scenes, school pictures.  The most haunting pages are the blank ones, pages where no photographs of a victim could be found, these empty frames call to mind what was lost here.

I feel today like I have come full circle.  I started this trip on the Normandy beaches, and have mostly finished in a haunting site that exists as a retaliation for the victory so richly purchased in Normandy.  And yet there is the constant question about the lessons we should have learned from these two places and seem to either failed to heed or have completely forgotten. How did so many lose their lives fighting a regime of hate and bigotry without a single lesson learned that showed any staying power? What will it take before we learn to live together regardless of our religion, our political view, our sexual orientation, or colour?  How many more will have to die?

Rachel

A Word About Air B and B

Brett and I have done something we have never tried before during this spring of travelling.  We have stayed in Air B and B’s for any stay longer than 3 days. Brett and I like the idea of living like a local and Air B and B offered us the opportunity to spend more time away by cutting the cost of our accommodations and allowing us to shop for and cook our own meals when we wanted to.  This allowed us to cook breakfast, and pack lunch and eat out for supper if desired or simply shop and live like a local in the neighbourhoods we chose to stay in.  I thought I would write a word or two about Air B and B and our experience so far.  

As any good traveller knows it is best to do your homework. Read about where you are going, check reviews with an open mind and research what other travellers and travel professionals have to say about your plan.  This would be my advice with Air B and B as well.  However that having been said, I think it is also important to understand where the reviews are coming from.  Upon first glance it seems that Air B and B is a bit of a hit and miss, there are lots of negative reviews about the site and issues travellers have had.  One of the common threads in my research were people who had their accommodations cancelled very close to their trip, something that would be a nightmare for any traveller, but I noticed that this happened most in North America, not in Europe where I was headed.  

Another common complaint, one even from a colleague back at home, was that you had to be careful that you actually got a bed, not a fold out sofa etc.  The host sites that I searched were very upfront about whether it was a bed or a fold out and I felt like I knew going in exactly what I was going to get.  Time would tell when we checked into our apartments.

Our first Air B and B host Sylvie, in Paris, listed an apartment which I booked for 4 nights right near the Musee des Armie, a must see for our young travelling companion.  According to the ad, the apartment was in a private alley with parking and had a bedroom and a futon, full kitchen, and one of those quaint though not quite functional French showers and bathrooms.  It had all the appliances one would need in a kitchen and laundry facilities, a necessity after 16 days of travel. It was Sylvie’s own apartment and she met us at the entrance to the alley with the fob of the gate.  It was not easy to find but with a GPS and a few trips around the block, we did it. To be honest the apartment for 4 nights cost us less than a hotel for 2.  We also had a change of plans and decided to only stay 3 nights and I asked for a refund for the other night.  It came without question within 24 hours of our change of plans. Brett struggled with the French bathroom which was extremely small and he bumped his head several times, but there were pictures of the bathroom in all it's glory on Sylvie's Air B and B site, I knew exactly what we were getting, he didn't look that closely at the photos obviously. The apartment was exactly as advertised and we were literally steps from all of Paris’ major attractions. This would be a great place to stay if you are in Paris.

Courtyard at Sylvie's Apartment in Paris

Sylvie's Apartment in Paris

Our second stay was in Santa Maria la Caritas in Naples.  It was chosen for it’s proximity to Naples proper, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Ercolano, Sorrento, Salerno and the Amalfi Coast.  It was exactly that, close to everything, right in the heart of the Naples area.  We were hosted by Salvatore and his lovely wife Mary.  It was a one bedroom apartment with all the amenities and even a pool, though our time there was not warm enough to use it.  Again the apartment was exactly as advertised and our host Salvatore, who was out of town on the evening of our check-in, even sent his brother to rescue us from the city centre when we were left without a working GPS, and no data connections on our devices and were horribly lost.  We were treated to fresh homemade cheese and smoked artichokes on Easter Sunday and made to feel very welcome. Our laundry hanging on the line was moved when it rained and we were very grateful. The apartment would have benefited from a dehumidifier but I am not sure those even exist here. Again a very positive experience both with our hosts and the apartment.

Salvatore and Mary's Air B and B in Santa Maria

Moving on to Florence we booked an apartment at the Popartment, a modern artsy place just outside the city centre run by Pia.  This apartment boasts a 24-hour concierge and had two bedrooms and full kitchen as we were traveling with a friend from back home.  The facilities were awesome, the staff were unbelievable and we would recommend this place to anyone going to Florence.  A 10-minute bus ride into the city centre, but far enough away to not be chaotic.  The apartment was newly painted, well appointed and very comfortable.  We originally booked a very large suite with two king rooms but were given a smaller suite with a king room and a twin room.  Our original booking was an apartment for 6 and we were only 3 so the change made sense to us. Both rooms were the same cost. From dining suggestions to the printing of boarding passes and tour vouchers, to a welcome basket with snacks, juice, and goodies, Pia sees to it that you have a wonderful time. She offers laundry facilities and cleaning products, personal care products and whatever else you might need. It was a perfect stay.

Popartment with Pia in Florence

Our last Air B and B booking has been in Rome where I am writing this from.  We are hosted by Nicolo a kind and attentive young man who seems to be at our beck and call. He responds to email within 10 minutes and pops by to be sure we are in need of nothing. He has booked cars to the airport, brought toilet tissue, offered to print passes, you name it.  He has gone through the local transit system, organized places for dinner, and generally made our stay in Rome very pleasant.  Our apartment is a two bedroom, two bathroom full kitchen with living and dining rooms and is literally a 15-minute walk from Vatican City.  Again exactly as advertised.

Nicolo's Vatican House Apartment in Rome

So our experience using Air B and B over the course of this trip has been nothing but positive.  We have met lovely people, be hosted by people who were honest and proud of their homes and their community and would stay in any of them again were we in the neighbourhood. My advice; email your host a few times before booking to see how quickly they respond; read, read and read some more all of the reviews that a host gets, ALL of them; carefully look at pictures and read descriptions so that you know what you are actually getting and lastly do your research about the neighbourhood you are booking in.  Our experience has been a positive one, four times over.  

Cheers,

Rachel

Raucous Rome

I have put off telling the world about our time in Rome because I am having difficulty finding words to describe what we are seeing and doing.  Awe inspiring just doesn’t seem to be an adequate enough word and I can’t seem to find the vocabulary to support the beauty and glory of the art, architecture, and history of this city.  Our friend Sharon travelling with Brett and I at the moment isn't able to either, so if two teachers and a fella with the gift of gab are unable to find descriptive words powerful enough to describe Rome, then you know you gotta come here. It's noisy, it's rambunctious, it's ostentatious. It's Rome.

Italy’s capital, Rome, is a sprawling, and cosmopolitan city with over 3,000 years of influence in art, architecture and culture on display. Ancient ruins like the Colosseum, the Forum, and Circus Maximus evoke the greatness of the former Roman Empire. We bought Rome Passes and Omnia cards in order to tour the city without the hassle of standing in lines and it was very much worth it to be able to skip the line.  We were riding the yellow Omnia bus when we rounded a corner and I first laid eyes on the Colosseum.  Jaw dropping, to say the least.  I am quite sure if there had been video running it would be a contender for Canada’s Funniest Video.  I had real difficulty picking my jaw up off the floor of the open top bus.  

The Colosseum also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheater in the centre of the city.  It was built of concrete and sand in 70 AD and it is the largest amphitheater ever built. Construction began under Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus.  There are great parts of it that are mostly ruins thanks to earthquakes, stone robbers, tourists who felt the need to carve their name into the structure and generally time, but it is still huge and a marvel considering its age. It forces a moment to think of the tens of thousands of people murdered here for sport, and the animals slaughtered here for spectacle.  Early Christians, slaves, gladiators, death hangs over this place, and it is a place that requires contemplation both for its past and for its longevity.

One of the things I really looked forward to was Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which house masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes. Again there are hardly words to describe the grandness of St. Peter’s Basilica.  Michelangelo, Averulino, Maderno, Consorti, Bernini, Rusconi names of the best of the best in art and architecture had their hands in building and decorating this basilica. The works are truly inspiring, but one can’t help but notice the juxtaposition of the opulence of the church against the poverty of the adherents of Catholicism and ask how easy it would be to solve many of the world's problems with the financial resources housed inside the Vatican’s walls.

The Vatican Museum was a delight for a art lover like myself, though I might hazard a guess that my compatriots were not quite as inspired as I.  The traffic in the museum makes it quite difficult to spend any time admiring the works and I rather much felt pushed along with the throngs just there to see the Sistine Chapel.  I found the Raphael Rooms to be my favourite spot though I got but a moment to enjoy them.  It is extremely hard for me to admit that the Sistine Chapel was a complete and utter disappointment.  In our time slot, there seemed to be at least 1500 people in the chapel with us and it was almost impossible to even stand still and admire the works.  No photos are allowed, which I completely understand, but the basso profondo voice, admonishing over a loudspeaker, “no photos, hats off, shhh, niente foto, giù i cappelli, silencio,” took every ounce of enjoyment out of my visit there. The work is amazing but the ability to enjoy it is completely lacking.  

Another highlight of Rome is the Trevi Fountain. The design of the fountain was given to Bernini but after Pope Urban VIII died the contract was given to another artist. The Fontana di Trevi is in the Trevi district designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 26.3 metres high and 49.15 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The fountain has appeared in several notable films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita and the eponymous Three Coins in the Fountain.

The fountain is truly enormous, it is impossible to gage its size in pictures. With water pumping out of multiple sources and the large pool in front, the fountain spills about 80 000 cubic metres of water every day, no need to worry though, today the water is recycled rather than fresh. Don’t expect to get close to the fountain though, it is surrounded by tourists.

Today I spent the afternoon sitting in Piazza Navona.  I came here to see the Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini The fountain consists of a towering obelisk that was recovered, at the behest of Pope Innocent X, from the ruins of the Circus of Maxentius, along the Appian Way. On the tip of the obelisk, on what used to be its pyramidion, there is a dove bearing an olive branch in its beak. There are four continents depicted in the fountain, in the 17th century, Europeans were still unaware that a fifth one, Australia, existed. Those continents are represented by the statues of four rivers; the Danube with a laurel wreath around his head, for Europe; the Nile with his head wrapped in a cloth to symbolize the fact that the river’s source was unknown, for Africa; the Ganges representing Asia; and the Rio de la Plata, with a garter on one leg, to represent America. I am in awe of the work of Bernini.

I am lucky enough to have 3 more days in Rome, days I intend to fill with ancient structures, amazing art, and history through the ages.  Days in which I intend to eat gelato, drink espresso and eat amazing pasta.  

Ciao,

Rachel

Fabled Florence

As a student of art history and art teacher names like Giotto, Brunelleschi, da Vinci, and Michelangelo have been rolling around in my head for a great number of years. I have always been in awe of their work and looked forward to a day when I would stand in front of the masterpieces myself.  Florence is a forward thinking city, a city of progress, in fact in 1339, Florence was the first city in Europe to have paved streets. That day has finally arrived, I will walk those famous pavers and see those famous works.

Florence is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. Surely its most iconic sight is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The piazza in front of and around the Duomo is exactly as you would imagine an Italian Piazza to be, bustling with cafes, busy with artists and visitors alike and alive.  It is not really possible to not stare in awe as your enter the piazza from the tiny side streets that lead up to it.  No matter which direction you arrive the Duomo is imposing and inspiring and jaw dropping.  Since we are not climbers, and Brett is somewhat adverse to heights and especially since we didn’t have the foresight to book weeks in advance and the queues are totally sold out for days, there will be no photos of Florence for us from the top of Brunelleschi's dome, but the very image of his feat of engineering and architecture is imprinted on our minds.

Perhaps Florence exists because of the House of Medici, a prominent an Italian banking family, political dynasty and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de’ Medici in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The Medici produced three Popes of the Catholic Church and two regent queens of France. In 1531, the family became hereditary Dukes of Florence. In 1569, the duchy was elevated to a grand duchy after territorial expansion. They ruled the Grand Duchy of Tuscany from its inception until 1737, with the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici. The grand duchy witnessed degrees of economic growth under the grand dukes, that made the building, engineering, architecture, art and scientific achievements possible.

Their wealth and influence initially derived from the textile trade guided by the guild of the Arte della Lana. Like other families ruling in Italian signorie, the Medicis dominated their city's government, were able to bring Florence under their family's power and created an environment where art and humanism could flourish. They, along with other families of Italy, fostered and inspired the birth of the Italian Renaissance, and we today get to see the fruits of that labour.

The collections in Florence’s galleries and there are many of them are world renowned.  Raphael, Donatello, Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Ammannati, Ghiberti… names from my education and life, names I learned as a child, names that inspire awe of such talent and vision.  Florence is home to all of these masters. Galileo, Dante Alighieri, Machiavelli, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky, Elizabeth Barrett Browning all called Florence home at some point.  It is said to be home to over one-third of the world’s art treasures. Florence is the city of ideas, of lilies, of light, of modern thought, of progress. Florence is astounding.

Cheers,

Rachel

Indescribable Italy

From afar Italy looks serene and beautiful, sun-kissed and peaceful, ancient and well manicured. The truth up close is indescribable.  For 5 days my husband and I are staying in a small southern village called Santa Maria la Carita.  I chose it for its inexpensive air b and b and for its location, right in the heart of the Bay of Naples.  It’s close to Pompeii, Vesuvius, and Ercolano, it’s an easy drive to Sorrento, Salerno, and Paestum, and would be a great hopping off point for a quiet Easter Sunday drive along the Amalfi Coast. Madre di Dio what a mess!

The Heart of Santa Maria la Carita

Firstly, I love Italy.  I like the noise, the bartering, the mi scusi, mia caro’s, the ancientness of everything, the bustle, the art, the architecture, the food, the wine, the coffee, the history, did I mention the food?  Love it. It’s just that I have only ever been to the north and southern Italy is simply nuts.

Yesterday, hubby and I drove to Sorrento, the land of the lemons and more ceramics than I could possibly afford to ship home.  “I’ll take one of everything!”, said I several times before Brett hustled me out of the shop. Beautiful lemon groves glisten in the centre of town and the entire area smells like lemons. I drank limoncello, I ate lemon gelato, I even had lemon on my pizza! However what was supposed to be a 40-minute drive took us over two hours and it isn’t even peak tourist season.  I think half of that was taken up getting us out of this little hamlet we are living in.  Great apartment, includes a parking spot for our rental car, but our street is more of an alley and we are in a rat's nest of streets and back alleys that in truth look more like a quartiere or barrio.  Not a word of a lie, the owner of our apartment had to send his brother to the centre of town to find us and show us how to get here.  Google maps basically said, “no way!”

Today was the leisurely Easter Sunday drive along the Amalfi coast. Positano, Praiano, Maiori, Amalfi tiny little seaside towns along a picturesque drive the guidebook said.  Ha, the writer must have been Italian.  White knuckle, hair-raising, hairpin curves for 40 km with the fearless Italian drivers and motorcyclists to deal with.  My hubby is getting the world's best driver trophy and if we get out of this alive and without having purchased a Seat, Leon for the damage we did to it, it will be a miracle.  So far so good, not a scratch.

Hairpin turns at Praiano

Italians, according to a recent survey, are the worst drivers. They never signal, enter and exit traffic on a whim, switch lanes hastily, blast their horns, stop for a chat with other drivers, and anything goes when it comes to parking. Their recklessness makes fellow Europeans fume: 38 percent of the 10,000 questioned in a recent survey by the French motorway operator, Vinci, described Italians as dangerous drivers. And Italians themselves didn't argue with that depiction, 58 percent of them agree In my humble opinion as a passenger, they have absolutely no rules.  If your vehicle is small enough you can go anywhere.  Into oncoming traffic, on the sidewalk, between two lanes of traffic, literally anywhere.  We have yet to see a working stop light and stop signs are totally disregarded. If you are dumb enough to wait at one you will one; be there a very long time and two, be honked at repeatedly.  According to a local driving instructor, “ A lesson at Andrea Doria costs €25 for 40 minutes, but the entire course, including theory tests, costs around €700 and can take a year or more to complete. Especially with the economic crisis, people are asking family or friends to teach them to drive so they can save money."  Rubbish! Personally, I think this excuse is total nonsense given that the ages of unruly drivers are not limited to young people or people who learned to drive since 2008! Men young and old, women of all ages, scooter and motorcycle drivers, walkers, doesn’t matter, no rules apply. Even the concept of a baby seat is not taken seriously here.  How many years in Canada since you saw toddlers sitting on their parent's laps in the front seat of cars? Apparently, we will notice an improvement in driving once we get away from Napoli, it is said the drivers get worse the farther south you go.

Italian Traffic

So our leisurely afternoon drive was anything but leisurely and led us to the most amazing vistas, small towns full of people, tight narrow corners, and lanes our car only fit down if we folded in the mirrors, but it was an afternoon of adventure and self-determination.  So, so glad Brett is the official driver, and he is grateful for the automatic upgrade from Europcar. I still love Italy, just never going to drive here.

Cheers,

Rachel

Maiori

Lemons in Sorrento

The Pulse of Paris

I accomplished something on Monday I said I would never, ever do.  I drove in downtown Paris! Awful, hope to never repeat it but we survived. I will admit it has been a long time since I have visited Paris, over 13 years, and I truly did miss the city.  I love this city of light, it's noise, it's hustle and bustle, it's eclectic mix of old and new. My first solo transatlantic flight, my first big trip alone, my city of independence.  It represents to me a beginning. I love the art, the architecture, the Cafés, the food, the language.  It has always left me wanting more.

I love the gardens, the palaces, the museums.  This city has a vibrancy and heartbeat unlike any city I have ever been to, and I have seen a few. Maybe it's the artist in me but I have always been able to breathe just a little easier in Paris.

Not this time. It is April, not peak season, not even close and Paris has become the city of queues. A line to get past security at the Eiffel Tower, another 2.5 hours for an Eiffel Tower ticket, another hour in lines to get up and then back down.  A line so long to get into the Louvre that we wouldn't have made it to the front of the line before this famous landmark would have closed for the evening. Even a line for the washroom at McDonald's on the Champs-Élysées. (Fear not, I did not eat at mickey-d’s while in Paris, my young travelling companion needed to use the loo!) even Notre Dame was a line, a long one. A line for the Rodin Museum?  Unheard of. I am used to lines in summer, not terribly long, but lines for the biggest and most famous attractions, but on my last trip here in 2004 I waited not one second for the Louvre, Notre Dame or it's tower, nor any other site here. I hate queues I don't spend money on vacations to stand in lines.  It's why I have never been willing to go to Disney. I can't begin to imagine the summertime lines.

The war in Syria has not touched us back in North America the way it has here in Europe.  The number of shacks with families huddled around them, built under overpasses along roadways and in every nook and cranny of this great city is heartbreaking. Most street corners have a family, not a man or a woman but an entire family, children, too, begging on them. These families know a poverty and a sense of loss I will never know, and it is hard to ignore them and harder to know you can't really help them all. I am grateful for the life of privilege I lead and I am well aware that even on my most difficult day I am luckier, healthier and happier than these refugees.  My sense of social justice makes it difficult for me to enjoy my privileges knowing my resources could be better spent.

This visit to my favourite big city was a whirlwind, not nearly enough time to even taste its flavour, a mere 44 hours. I will have a hard time convincing Brett to come back.

Cheers,

Rachel