Cooking Class on Throwback Thursday - Day 9 in ItalyHi There!! Today we started the day off early with a Tuscan cooking class. We had so much fun, and it was a great activity to do with the kids. Well, they had a ball...and so did we. Here is the menu of items we cooked: Pizza Margherita Zonzelle (Fried Pizza Dough) Gnocchetti di Patate Alla Contadina (Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Tomatoes) Zucchini Ripieni (Stuffed Zucchini with potatoes) Torta Di Mele (Apple Crumble)  COOKING CLASS  WITH PATRICIA, OUR CHEF
 EATING OUR DELICIOUS FOOD AL FRESCO Now, yesterday, was quite an adventure for me and Mom. As I mentioned yesterday, I was taking a day trip to Pisa with my Mom. Now, we received wonderful directions from the owner of our villa. It took us a little over an hour to get to Pisa. The drive was very enjoyable with the most lovely views of the Tuscan hills. Our visit there was really fun. As we got into the town, we quickly found a parking garage. Then we approached the shopping plaza of Pisa. There were lots of the stores we know here in the States including Game Stop and Sephora to name a few. We walked a bit and grabbed some lunch at an outdoor cafe. Mom had a pizza; I had a salad.  We headed towards the Tower through a narrow street with Italian stores and local merchants. The houses looked like something out of a movie about a medieval town. Then, all at once, - there it was - the Leaning Tower. It was kind of strange to see it in person! I had thought, based on pictures, that it was more tan in color, but in actuality, it was white marble. And it also thought it was much larger in size, but it just didn't appear that huge. At this point it started to get very cloudy - dark clouds - and drizzling. We walked around a bit and then decided to walk back towards the car. It was a good 10-15 minute walk. Getting the car was a breeze - we remembered perfectly where we parked! At this point it was 4:50. Then, the fun began...neither of us could remember exactly how to retrace the route back. We were okay getting out of the town, but then, we weren't sure. So we asked a taxi driver. We both thought we understood and for a while, we seemed to be going ok. Then as we were driving on the highways (that we remembered having to go on), the signs seemed to be bringing us closer and closer to Florence. That was not our destination We got off the highway and asked another person on a scooter. He helped us - all in Italian - according to the route map on the GPS in the rental car, we were headed. We went on for about an hour and then noticed that we were making our way closer and closer to the Coast! Totally away from where we need to be! It was getting me very frustrated and nervous as well, because what should have taken only about an hour ended up taking us 4 hours to get to the town of San Gimignano!!! When we got there, it was now dark and we decided to stop at the office of the Carrabieneri (Italian Police) to ask directions back to our vacation villa. So, by 9:30 from 4:50, we had made it home. It was quite an adventure - a little scary driving on the dark roads at night - but we finally made it home. We also managed to see a great deal of the Italian countryside!! We did not forget that today is Throwback Thursday. Please check out my China Adventure Part 1 back from 1991! Finally - an apology - yesterday, because of my late arrival back home, and Tanya being at sea, we did not post our Daily - please see August 13th for Day 8 of our European trips! Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!! -E | More of Norway - Day 9Well hello there! A happy Throwback Thursday to you! Yes, I'm still cruising the Norwegian Fjords. And yes, you'd love it! Yesterday we were docked in Ålesund, and I must say that it was my favorite port so far! What a lovely place! Gorgeous! And the people were also quite adorable! I look forward to when I have the opportunity to share more photos of this trip with you & give you a glimpse of My visit to Norway! This will certainly give new meaning to me on my next visit to Epcot Center and the Norway country exhibits! Today we are in Bergen. Originally founded in 1070 AD; and more recently in the year 2000, this city was named European City of Culture; and it is considered the "Gateway to the Fjords". A few of our stops will be: 1. Bryggen, this medieval village filled with it's storybook architecture is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Aselund 2. The Old Bergen Museum (Gamle Bergen Museum), a breathtaking reminder of what the city looked like during its heyday in the 18th & 19th centuries. Reconstructed with around 50 wooden houses, where countless rooms, and objects bring the city's history over the generations to life! 3. Fantoft Stave Church (Fantift Stavkirke), beautifully reconstructed after the original one burnt down in 1992. 4. Mt. Florence & Funicular (Fløyen & Fløybanen), the most visited of Bergen's Seven Mountains. Mt. Fløyen can be reached via funicular, offers hiking trails, panoramic views, and the largest tree in all of Norway; a 100-year-old Spruce that measures 150 feet high! 5. Fishmarked - the famous fishmarket. A tradition since 1276!  Bergin Weather wise, so far our choice in cruise dates has been nothing less than spectacular (especially here) as we are having some beautiful blue skies & very mild temperatures. Keeping in mind that this city receives an annual 267 days of rain, making it Europe's "Seattle"! And as you may or may not realize, this is the last port of the cruise portion of our trip. Tomorrow will be a day at sea and well as my 5th anniversary with Dave B, I hope to be able to get internet and connect with you on right back here on the Daily while floating across the North Sea enroute back to Southhampton. Until then, have a great day! -T |
