Tuesday, April 23rd, Limassol, Cyprus

Greetings!

After breakfast at Hobo's Cafe, we retrieved luggage from the room, and walked over to the Church of St Lazuras parking lot, and retrieved our car.   Google Maps got us out of the City, and west to the little mountain town of Lefkaras.  

Lefkaras has been called (by the Tourist Bureau of Japan) one of the top 31 little beautiful cities in the world.  It's known for its lace and silver craft shops.  

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Tuesday, April 23rd, Limassol, Cyprus

Monday, April 22nd, Larnaca, Cyprus

Greetings!

Larnaca is like any southern California beach town, without the waves, surfers, and skimpy swimsuits.  While there's a huge Virgin Cruise ship a few hundred yards off the coast, and lots of umbrellas on the sand, most of the action is driving up the street in front of the hotels or sitting at the bars and restaurants.  

Today, we just went out for breakfast at a cafe recommended by our landlord (Hobo Cafe), and got the discount they negotiated with it.  Afterward, we walked the beach front until we got to a local prize museum.

I'm have difficulty uploading the many photos taken in the Pierides Family Museum, whose collection of pottery and glass from the period from 3900 BC to 300AD on Cyprus is one of the finest in the world.  Next to one in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, this family has acquired it all, and displays it so well. 

After walking through the town until about 2pm, we returned to our apartment for a late lunch of the leftovers from last night's dinner.  While Pat read, I then walked to where our car is parked, in order to avoid additional 2-Euro penalty charges (beyond 24-hrs).  I drove it out of the lot, around the long one-way streets, and back to the lot.  The charge is for 24-hours (2 Euros), but any hour beyond 24 is another 2 Euros.  That will cover us until tomorrow, when we drive west along the south coast to Limassol for another two-day stay.

Please stay tuned for the many additional photos from the Museum.  They are spectacular, and I'll find a means of overcoming this very slow internet.  

Got it.  To see some of the photos taken today, click on Monday, April 22nd, Larnaca, Cyprus.

Sunday, April 21st, Larnaca, Cyprus

Greetings!

We made it.  Still uploading two more photos, but the flight over was surprisingly accommodating.  Hardly any  delay or difficulty with either customs, check-in, or delay.  One of the most personalized lunch deliveries ever.  Flight crew turned into personalized chefs, and can't believe anyone else got served befor e we landed.

Staying right on the beach, surrounded by restaurants and bars of every stripe.  Had dinner last night at a great Greek out-of-the-way place, which provided more than we could eat for so cheap.  Took some of it home to have for lunch today.  Today is completely on our own time, and may just be relaxing.

Stay tuned to see if I can get the other two photos up. 

Saturday, April 20th, Milan, Italy

Greetings!

What do you think would be the worst day to try to get into the Civic Archeology Museum in Milan, situated on the second floor of the City Hall?  Answer: the day in which the world famous, week-long "Design Milan" concludes with presentations inside the main hall of the building.   The line started three blocks away. 

Instead, we got very familiar with the M2 line of the Metro Subway, climbed up and down many stairs (and a few elevators and escalators), and walked to the Canal district.  Pat left her walking stick in the place we stayed in Verona.  She's been making due yesterday and today, as we keep an eye out for a hikig store.  Did you know that the canals were constructed to transport the stones which buit the Duomo?

We stopped at a market we found last night, and restocked breakfast items again.  

Tomorrow morning, we take the subway to a train to the airport to fly to Cyprus.  I doubt there will be a post until Monday in Lanarca.

To see the two other photos we took today, click on Saturday, April 20th, Milan, Italy.

Friday, April 19th, Milan, Italy

Greetings!

Trains, subways, busses, make believe tourist trains riding around in the City center, and lots of walking and stair-climbing and descending, that's what we did yesterday.  The best part of the day was the dinner at 7:30pm at the Zio Pesce.  An excellent, elegant, well-staffed spot just down the street from our 6th floor flat.  The worst part of the day - not being able to get engage the small elevator at our flat.  Thankfully, three young visitors from Switzerland and Amsterdam were coming down the stairs, and offered to carry our luggage all the way back up to the 6th floor.  We gave them our contact information at home, as one of them was planning on traveling to San Francisco this summer.  Welcome and thanks to Rachael.

To see the few photos taken today, click on Friday, April 19th, Milan, Italy.

Thursday, April 18th, Verona, Italy

Greetings!

Verona is halfway between Venice and Milan on the train.  It's where I discovered yesterday, after purchasing a ticket at the Vicenza Mestre station just outside Venice, that I had lost my wallet.  I actually know where I lost it.  I pulled out my wallet to get my VISA card, and put my wallet on my suitcase against the wall next to the kiosk.  Oops, big mistake.  Hurrying off to the platform to catch the train, it probably fell behind the suitcase as I grabbed the handle.

Three stops later, as we exited the Verona train station, I reached into the pocket it should have been in, and found only the Visa card.  Making our way to the apartment we had reserved (on the card and Pat's Euros), we searched everywhere, and finally concluded that we'd do two things: 1) I'd go back to the station and ask the lost and found; and 2) we'd start canceling the credit cards in it.  We failed on the first, and were only marginally successful on the second.  Last night, I went back to the Verona train station, bought a ticket back to Venice, waited for the 6:49pm train (and found out I was sitting on the right platform, but the wrong end of the train).  Few things more frustrating then running 100 yards to the closing doors of your reserved coach, and watching it speed away.  

We're also struggling to get our purchased ESim phone cards to let us make phone calls to International and U.S. phone numbers to cancel our credit cards.  best we can do so far is move my money into Pat's checking accounts for the debit cards, and send text messages and emails to everyone else.  One of them at least had an online "lock card" function.

In the meantime, we did get an email from one bank telling us of "unusual activity" on the card.  So someone probably is in possession of the wallet.  Nix the idea of trying another train ride to see if it ended up in the lost and found.

This morning, we walked from our perfectly-located Truly Verona apartment to the 13th Century city center.  Amphitheaters, and walled-in convents, parks, and tons of restaurants and shops are around us.  With Hop-on busses, taxis, and pedestrians (zillions of children), we feel very comforted.  Even without my wallet.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, April 18th, Verona, Italy.

Tuesday, April 16th, Venato, Italy

Greetings!

Today was the longest traveling leg of our tour.  We drove from Brixen to Venice.  The drive was easy, as it was from the mountains down the main north south road that we've discussed led from the Austro-Hungarian Empire (and Northern Europe) to Italy.  

On thee way, we visited Eliseo and his wife Diane, who farm 10 acres of apples in a small valley, which has been in his family for over a hundred years.  After walking us through his orchard, and answering lots of our questions, we stepped inside his barn just ahead of the hail,  There, he showed us his production equipment, and told us of the coop his father founded.

Diane then provided a wonderful meal topping any lunch we'd had, and included their apple juice and wine.  Again, their personal stories and memories of the way in which their valley had played a role in the international dramas of the first half of the 20th century impressed all of us.  As one of our group put it, "Americans have heard much about the Allies perspective, but little about life on the other side of the wars"

To see allof the photos taken today, click on Tuesday, April 16th, Venato, Italy.