Tag: Immersive Travel

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Como

This is the fourth and final destination in the Northern Italy itinerary. The details related to planning for this destination and the others on the Northern Italy circuit are described in The Northern Italy Travel Planning post.

We departed Verona early on a Friday morning to make our way to Como. Nearly 3 hours of non-scenic Italian Autostrada were endured to get to Como. Some drives in Italy can be joyous, even on Autostrada – for example, the drive from San Remo near the French border to the Cinque Terre region was lovely, and interesting with scenery and road maneuverings to keep a driver well engaged. But this drive was rather monotonous, lacked scenery with the exception of unremarkable hay and corn fields. 

The drive aside, I had the greatest expectation of Como on this trip – more so than the three other destinations – simply because it is so built up in the media, the travel sites, and even by word of mouth. In fact, I had such high expectations that I was hoping I wouldn’t be let down – especially given that we had toured Lake Garda while in Verona one afternoon, and I thought it was a lovely experience – even thought I could see myself as a resident there. So arrival came with great expectations, and anticipation.

 

Arrival

The Como apartment was located in the heart of the old town, as a matter of fact too much into the center. I neglected to pre-plan for a parking garage as my initial stop upon arrival with the car. This is something I usually do to avoid driving to the apartment, unloading the luggage, then relocating the car to a garage.

At first, this doesn’t seem like something particularly bad, or even to be avoided, unless you can imagine what driving in the center of some European cities, towns, and villages might be like. There are roads that are unfit for two way traffic, but are legal for it, and are used regularly in that fashion – at speeds that would both amaze and induce fear to a non-European, but especially non-Italian (where maniacal driving is an art form).

And so I pulled the Alfa Romeo right up to the apartment building door, and boldly parked wherever the heck I wanted, as if I lived in the neighborhood. And I did have to negotiate tight little lanes that not only had two way traffic, but pedestrians as well. Our hostess advised to move the vehicle to a parking garage as quickly as possible to avoid a hefty fine for parking in the residents-only center of town. She even took a photo of my license plates to notify the authorities that I was a guest, and avoid the automatic fines produced through the camera system monitoring the center.

The apartment was lovely, roomy for a couple, had an excellent shower (important every day), and a refrigerator that was up to US standards in keeping things cold – nothing worse than not getting your beer or wine down to the right temperature in your domicile. And most importantly, the bed was very comfortable.

 

Settling in

Walking around Como’s old town, just in front of our secure apartment building was pure immersion. It felt like we lived there, and we were part of the neighborhood. The old town was fluid with locals going about their daily lives, and lacked the density of tourism that denies any feel of immersion.

There were shops, restaurants, markets, and a beehive of activity as we explored right from our front door – and it had a small town feel to it. It would take only an hour or two to walk the entirety of the old town, even with a “smell the roses” kind of pace. The architecture is 400+ years old, with three lovely churches in the old part of town, but everything looked tidy and well-kempt. This gave me an overall excellent first impression of the old town, which continued as I spent more time exploring her.

 

Discovery Trek

The first opportunity for discovery is simply wandering around the old town of Como, inside its ancient city walls, randomly walking along narrow medieval lanes that are surprisingly vehicle accessible, and enjoying a gelato as the hour or two passes while taking in the scenery.

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The other noteworthy discovery opportunity is the town of Brunate at the top of the 10 minute funicular ride. Restaurants and shops greet the tourist at the end of the funicular, along with an opportunity to take a 30 minute walk to the lighthouse, a waypoint on a much longer hike possible along the lake. There are grand views, and in particular exceptional views from the terrace and interior of the appropriately named Ristorante Bellavista, where we had a lovely, and relaxing meal as described in the Food Scene section of this post.

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Lake Como Cruise to Bellagio

An excellent opportunity for discovery is hopping onto one of the regularly scheduled boat “navigations” to various parts of Lake Como, which allow for the exploration of a variety of towns on the lake, along with their majestic and historic villas.

A popular destination is Bellagio, a beautiful town in its own right, with excellent restaurants and historic villas. We had an exceptional meal with a view in Bellagio at La Punta, as described in the Food Scene section. Bellagio is a grand stop on the ferry system, taking tourists by the dozens on both a “slow” two-hour long, open-air type vessel, as well as an enclosed catamaran with a one-hour duration.  While the catamaran is faster, it tends to be a hotter ride as the vessel is enclosed with little wind circulation. We spent five hours round trip to Bellagio, walking around a bit, and enjoying a fabulous meal. One could easily spend days exploring the various little towns dotting the lake by ferry. This is what Lake Como is all about.

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Food Scene

La Punta in Bellagio

This is a beautiful restaurant with outdoor seating facing the water in Bellagio, about an hour boat ride from Como. Smoked fillet of Lavarello with toast, and caprese salad to start, grilled lake fish, and fried lake fish as main courses. The fried lake fish selection included an anchovy-like lake fish which was missing from the grilled plate as they are too tiny to grill. The fish was very fresh, and the variety was good. I highly recommend this restaurant for both the views in Bellagio, as well as the the dining experience.

 

Cucina di Elsa

This restaurant was recommended by our hostess, and was very close to our apartment in Como. It also received great reviews on TripAdvisor. Shrimp and octopus salad to start, we both ordered squid and shrimp as our main, and my wife ordered a mixed salad on the side. The  octopus salad was actually quite exotic. It had, among other things, shaved almonds, fresh pineapple, avocado, cabbage and rocket salad in addition to the octopus and shrimp. A lot more than was described in English on the menu. The mix was a little unexpected,  but it turned out to be an excellent combination of ingredients. The shrimp and squid were skewered, lightly rolled in breadcrumbs, and broiled – both very tender.

 

Bellavista

A restaurant at the top of the funicular with a fabulous view overlooking Lake Como. I thought I was going to buy an expensive, but mediocre meal and get a fabulous view overlooking Lake Como and its city namesake way down below. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and value of the meal we had. We ordered a charcuterie plate, and a cheese plate for starters to share, then fillet of perch with polenta each, and grilled vegetables to share for the main course. The charcuterie plate had six varieties of salumi and dried beef, along with thinly sliced fat. An excellent medley, with some a little spicy, some a little fatty – there was one variety that had a hint of liver to it, with an earthy flavor. The cheese plate had a very good array too – six samples from around the region, ranging from sharp, to pungent, and mild. Even the bread had an excellent assortment, with one type crunchy like paper-thin toasted focaccia – it was fantastic with the salumi and cheese. The Lake Como perch and polenta was an excellent blend of flavors, to my surprise. Honestly was expecting a tourist caliber meal with an excellent view and was very pleasantly surprised by the food. A highly recommended experience.

 

Ristorante Sociale

This restaurant was recommended by our hostess, a true example of local Como cuisine, and a good value. It is located just around the corner from the duomo on a quiet side street. Having been in Italy for 9 days without a pasta dish, I thought I’d try the linguine with octopus, fresh tomato, and potatoes as my first course. My wife ordered the Parma ham with melon. The linguine was simple, fresh, flavorful and an excellent first course. I particularly liked that it was not too al dente, something which upscale Italian restaurants tend to do with their pasta, and not to my liking. The melon was very ripe and juicy and tasted better than any melon we’ve had in the United States. I ordered the San Petro filets with potatoes and black olives. as I was in a fish mood that day.  My wife ordered the Osso Buco with risotto and gravy. The osso bucco was tender, with the saffron risotto slightly al dente. The San Petro filets were very mild and tender. A nice last meal in Northern Italy, which was topped off with gelato and a walk around town as a light rain started to fall. I highly recommend this restaurant for the good ambiance, dining experience as well as great value.

 

Epilogue

Reflections on Como. I was concerned that my expectations of Como and its surrounding lake, were so high that I was in for a possible disappointment. My concerns were unfounded, because Como delivered on every level. The little town of Como was lovely and easy to get around, lacking the throng of tourism one might expect. The lake itself was a treasure, dotted with little towns and villas up and down its coast. This area would merit 2 weeks or more for a thorough exploration. And it’s definitely worthy of a return visit should I be traveling anywhere near this gem of Northern Italy.

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Verona

This is the third destination in the Northern Italy itinerary. The details related to planning for this destination and the others on the Northern Italy circuit are described in The Northern Italy Travel Planning post..

Verona is not on everyone’s itinerary for Italy. From experience, Verona is lightly touristed as compared to other destinations visited in Italy. There were no tourist buses parked en masse, there were no cruise ships pulled into port, and the city had a smaller town feel to it. There were plenty of discovery opportunities in Verona. There were interesting churches – one with origins dating back to the 4th century, and all kinds of points of interest – an intact, in-use, 2,000 year old Roman Era Coliseum, museums, and a lovely walkable riverfront that allowed for a grand discovery trek. The city was completely explorable by foot. There were plenty of excellent restaurants, some recognized with a Michelin star or two.

 

Arrival

It was a three hour drive from Genoa, Italy to Verona, crossing from Liguria into the Piedmont, then into Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna, and finally into the Veneto arriving in lovely Verona. The drive exiting Liguria into Lombardy is hilly, with lots of tunnels, and is an exciting kind of drive with twists and turns, if one is inclined for that sort of a thing. Once outside Liguria, the landscape turned mostly towards farmland, and the road became Northern Italian Autostrada. And to be clear, the Italian Autostrada is not an exciting road to drive. They built barriers on the Autostrada, like high walls, I suppose for safety reasons, that didn’t allow for scenery to be part of the driving experience. And so, most of the drive on the Autostrada did not compare well with previous driving experiences – in Italy specifically, and in Europe in general.

 

Settling in

Exiting the Autostrada and working my way into the old part of town to where our apartment was located didn’t take a lot of time – maybe 10 minutes. It speaks to the smaller size of Verona. Milan was grand. Genoa was scruffy and rough around the edges – but definitely a large city. Verona was a pleasant surprise on arrival, as compared with our previous experiences in Italy on this trip. As a smaller town with a concentrated historic center, it was a welcome change of pace from both Milan and Genoa.

With secure, covered parking just a two minute walk away, many good restaurants within easy walking distance, and similarly easy access to the historic center, the Verona apartment could not have been more accommodating to someone who defines discovery through being a pedestrian. The apartment was beautiful, and well appointed with all of the necessities to make home for the duration of the stay. It had a grand balcony with a outdoor seating and an umbrella to provide shade. But most importantly – the shower worked well, and the bed was comfortable. The air conditioning was both necessary and welcome as we were having a bit of a heatwave during our stay. There was even a view of one of the church towers through the front window. The apartment was secure, and our host was helpful and accommodating, answering our questions as they arose. The apartment made for a pleasant and immersive stay in lovely Verona.

 

Discovery Trek

With Grand Milan, and interesting, but “scruffy” Genoa behind me, I was looking forward to a more intimate, smaller town experience in Verona.

Walking around Verona was a very enjoyable experience. Being a pedestrian was a delight. There was traffic, but it was on a normal scale – lacking the din and density of a larger city. As we walked around town we noted on many occasions that there were available parking spots, and on one occasion we wandered into a section of town with a complete street-full of available parking spots, which was unseen anywhere else on this trip. That was but one example attesting to Verona being a smaller, more accessible, and less touristed part of Northern Italy.

I found Verona to be very immersive from my perspective. Amenities within easy walking distance, historic 2000-year-old Colosseum in the heart of the old town, and churches dating back from the fourth century, all add up to an extremely interesting place to visit. But moreover, it suggests a place that is livable as an expatriate retiree, as someone that wants to move to Italy and enjoy the ambiance of a historic Italian town with great attractions, but without having to endure the issues around grand tourism, and a large city.

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Lake Garda Day Trip

The weather during our stay in Verona was hot and humid, with temperatures in the afternoon approaching 100F. It’s the kind of heat and exposure that requires attention to hydration if engaged in outdoor activity. Walking is my mode of discovery, and my way of getting the sense of being there – the feeling of immersion. And with heat and humidity of this caliber, walking is best done in the morning when the weather is cooler, and the sun less direct. So with the weather behaving as it did, it was a better idea to take a little road trip to easily accessible Lake Garda for the afternoon – just a twenty minute drive to get to the beginning of the scenery, and in the comfort of our air conditioned Alfa Romeo.

We ended up circumnavigating Lake Garda, stopping in the town of Garda at Parco Baia delle Sirene, and stretching out legs for a bit. My impression of the Lake Garda area was that it was much more densely populated and touristed on its East shore, as we passed through more towns along that part of our route. The Western shore of Lake Garda had more cliffs, and other terrain that made it inaccessible and sparsely populated.

 

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Food Scene

Zen Pizzeria

This restaurant was a few steps away from the apartment and was very convenient for lighter fare and pizza. The service was good, prices fare, and we couldn’t beat the convenience factor.

 

Vesuvio

This is a restaurant just two minutes down the road from the apartment, with outdoor seating facing the river and a nice cross breeze. Antipasto plate with mixed salad for starters, a veal chop, and eggplant parmigiana for the main courses. The antipasto had buffalo mozzarella, black olives, picante salami, pickled cauliflower, and anchovies. The antipasto selection had a nice variety of flavors. With the buffalo mozzarella as a foundation, a pickled pepper added a bit of sour, the salami was spicy,  the anchovies salty, the pickles were savory, and the cabbage was bitter. What a well orchestrated variety of flavors. The eggplant was rated as fabulous by my choosy wife. The veal chop could have been a little more tender, possibly because it had drifted past medium rare on the grill.

 

Tre Marchetti

Smoked salmon, seabass, swordfish as a starter, fresh squid over veggies as the main, paired with a bottle of local white wine recommended by the knowledgeable waiter. The smoked fish was very tender but the smokiness was mostly an aromatic as opposed to a flavor. The presentation for the smoked fish was very interesting as it was served under a cloche with thick smoke trapped underneath it so that the fish was not visible.  As the waiter lifted the cloche, the smoke dissipated in a puff around our heads – it was a fanciful presentation. The tiny, 3 inch squids over vegetables were very tender and tasty. This restaurant was upscale, with excellent professional service, and the only place on this trip that added a 15% service fee to the check.

 

Epilogue

Reflections on Verona. I did expect a smaller town experience, and a nice diversion from cities the size of Milan, and Genoa. And I was pleasantly surprised by how pedestrian accessible and explorable this lovely little city turned out to be.  The Lake Garda side trip was a bonus. Altogether, we had a lovely experience living like locals in Verona. I would consider being a resident of Verona for an extended period – it was that lovely.

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Genoa

Immersive Travel Genoa

This destination is the second of four on the Northern Italian Travel Planning circuit, as described on that post. As a coastal city which has revitalized its old town over the recent years, and with an opportunity to visit Portofino as a day trip, I looked forward to this stop.

It was a relatively uneventful drive from Milan to Genoa, mostly highway driving through farmland. On approach to Genoa, about 30 minutes out of town, the terrain changed from the flat, rich farmland of the Piedmont to the rolling terrain of Liguria. Driving suddenly became much more fun, speaking for myself. I like driving, and driving on twisty roads is like nirvana to me. Thirty minutes of it was pure joy. Two hours after leaving Milan, we arrived at the designated cafe to meet our apartment hostess. I had enough time for one Italian draft while waiting for her, just enough to descend from the adrenaline of driving through the hills.

 

Arrival

We were sitting at an outdoor cafe by the harbor, having a beer while waiting for our hostess to arrive and show us to our apartment. Apparently getting there was too complicated in her mind to direct her clients straight to the property. I would soon learn just how right she was. I realized how different the cost of living was in Genoa compared to big city Milan. A large beer and a black tea set me back 6 euros, which would have cost 10 – 12 euros in Milan, depending on the location. As we relaxed and enjoyed our drinks, we did some people watching. There was a contingent of African immigrants living local to the waterfront, walking around, going about their business. Their garb and mannerisms gave them away as fresh immigrants. For example, there were multiple women walking by with babies in slings on their backs while balancing large loads – like a tall basket full of stuff – on their heads, dressed in what appeared to be colorful native garb. It reminded me of a scene from a National Geographic documentary somewhere in Africa.

Soon Roberta arrived, and she drove us to our home in Genoa. There was no way I could have found the property on my own. Not with Google Maps, and a professional navigator. The property was located in the medieval center of the city, comprised of streets (in name only) that accommodated at most, one smallish vehicle, but was regularly used by all kinds of vehicles. Driving in these quarters requires an Italian mindset, inclusive of talking to the other drivers, gesticulating hand gestures, and maneuvering a vehicle in a way most people can’t imagine. I was so glad she picked us up and chauffeured us to the property. At one point on the drive, we were on a two-way street too narrow to accommodate two cars, like most of them. The rule was that the uphill bound vehicle receives the right of way, and the downhill car should yield. The downhill bound taxi driver got an earful from our hostess because he didn’t properly yield – lots of hand gestures. The taxi driver was oblivious. The very last left turn she needed to make to access the apartment was not navigable because a vehicle was parked blocking the turn. She ranted under her breath, I caught some of the words, all of them unlady-like. She sounded the horn several times. A little old lady arrived to move the vehicle a few minutes later, words and gestures were exchanged, and we finally arrived. Wow, how unnerving, but so happy to have arrived.

 

Settling in

Wow, what a lovely apartment. Two balconies, one larger than the other, and both with nice city views overlooking the rooftops. The apartment was on the seventh (6th European) floor of a historic building with marble floors, statuary in the entrance lobby, and on its own private piazza. Our hostess lives in the apartment when not rented out, so naturally it was decorated to suit her Italian flair and style. The apartment was rather large as European apartments go, with ample outdoor space exposing grand views. The Genoa apartment was larger than the one we had in Milan, at just over half the price. The holiday just got less expensive. I don’t focus on cost in general because my blog isn’t about “farther, cheaper, longer”, but it is noteworthy how much less expensive some destinations are as compared to others – even on the same itinerary.

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Discovery Trek

Emerging from our Genoa apartment, from our grand lobby adorned with romanesque statuary, crossing marbled floors to egress through the grand door onto our private piazza, we stepped into the heart of the medieval part of the city.

 

Medieval Genoa is best described as scruffy and rough around the edges. There was a clear effort to rejuvenate some parts of the old town – it was visible in some of the buildings, and there were works in progress we observed as we walked along our discovery trek. But the flavor and feel of the old town is in high contrast with the elegant and historic building from which we emerged.

Medieval Genoa is collections of meandering alleys that pass for streets – where I would have thought I was in a pedestrian only part of town. Cars, service vehicles, delivery vehicles, transportation vehicles – all make their rounds through those narrow, hard to believe a single vehicle would be accommodated, let alone two, lanes.

 

It is rough around the edges in the sense that it is unkempt. There is a distinct smell of urine in many of the passageways that pass for streets, probably due to so many days having passed without a good rain. Many people have dogs, as we’ve observed lots of folks walking them at all hours. I should say that there wasn’t a lot of evidence of dog poop during our discovery trek.

 

Portofino Day Trip

The route to Portofino from Genoa is pretty interesting. Getting out of town is harrowing. Genoa is a snaggle of twisty roads, seemingly going in all directions – fraught with heavy traffic comprised of scooters, trucks, buses, and endless maniacal little vehicles. It takes 30 minutes to leave town. Continuing on, we encountered a blissful 30 kilometers of toll road with a 1.70 euro tariff outbound (2.90 euro inbound). And once we left the highway, the fun began. A 8.5 kilometer drive on a two lane road with buses and trucks that sometimes required a full stop to allow oncoming traffic to pass due to the narrowness of the road. It wasn’t quite the Amalfi heart-attack drive, but it was so similar. The difference being that I was a passenger on the Amalfi drive, while on this occasion I was the panicked driver. The drive was all along the coast, rock wall on the right, cliff to the ocean on the left. Panic city. The drive did pass through two lovely little towns along the way, Rapallo, and Santa Margarita. Both of these little towns had extensive pedestrian areas along the waterfront where it looked like it was possible to walk for miles along the water, with breathtaking scenery as the reward.

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Portofino itself is very compact. Without doing the climb to Castle Brown, and the Faro Lighthouse, the whole town was walkable in an hour or less. It was picturesque, and to my surprise, possibly because I was there on a Tuesday morning, not swamped with tourists. It was definitely a worthwhile day trip from Genoa, but folks that have been to Cinque Terre, or have done the drive from Sorrento to Ravello on the Amalfi coast, will grade this experience as less impressive.

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Food Scene

Antica Sa Pesta

A genuine local eatery. No one spoke English, but the owner, and no English menu. Packed with locals for lunch. We both ordered a mixed salad and grilled octopus. It was the first time we were served octopus whole. The ink sac had been removed, otherwise it was the whole thing. My wife’s serving was on the smaller side, and I think that’s why hers was very tender. Mine was quite a bit larger, and either overcooked, or otherwise a bit tougher due to its size. One out of two ain’t bad. I’d go back to this place if I had the chance, and try their other menu items.

 

La Buca di San Matteo

Mixed plate of Ligurian appetizers, risotto with seafood, stuffed anchovies, and Ligurian fruity white wine. This was a quiet little place very close to the apartment, discovered on the fly as our first choice as recommended by our hostess was closed. The food was good, but not what was expected per the menu description. Stuffed anchovies turned out to be anchovies over baked veggies. Not bad, but not as described..

 

Trattoria Tripoli Portofino

Ravioli stuffed with seabass, fried squid, shrimp, and anchovies with frites. This was a little place at the bottom of the port, facing the water. We stopped in for lunch after our long hike to Castle Brown, and the Lighthouse Faro. The food was middle of the road, as was the presentation. The service was good.

 

Osteria Migone

We were once again foiled in our efforts to dine at Roberta’s highly recommend restaurant, as it was closed for reasons only an Italian speaker would understand, based on the recording I got when trying to call. Fried anchovies to start, followed by Catalan style crispy octopus, with a mixed salad on the side. The anchovies were presented too hot to eat, and they were very good, fat and crispy. The octopus was very tender, and a smaller portion than Sa Pesta. An excellent local experience with very good service.

 

Epilogue

Final thoughts on Genoa. The city gave me the impression that it was larger than it actually was – something like a quarter the size of Milan as a population center. It might have been because Genoa was less organized, more chaotic than Milan, and took more time negotiate the route on entering and exiting the city. But whatever the reason, Genoa seemed large and intimidating. The medieval part of town had its own sort of charm, with very nice restaurants, and enough sights to keep busy discovering for a day, or two. The side trip to Portofino was a huge highlight, and a great compliment to the stay in Genoa, with incredible contrast between the two places. I enjoyed my stay in Genoa, and had a great immersive experience at Roberta’s apartment. It was impossible to feel more like a local at this destination.

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Milan

This destination is the first of four on the Northern Italy Travel Planning circuit, as described in  that post.

Milan is the capital of Italian commerce, design, banking, and industry. But there’s so much more to this city. Milan is Italy’s fashion capital, and the locals dress to look the part – especially style-conscious women. In fact it’s easy to distinguish the locals from the tourists and out of towners just by their dress.

There are restaurants of high-quality scattered throughout the city, with impeccable service. I specifically call one of them out in the food scene section of this post. And then there are architectural treasures like the Duomo, and works of art like DaVinci’s Last Supper to be discovered.

The city overflowed with architecture, history, and art. There were plenty of things to do in Milan over a few days’ stay in the city center. But, I kept in mind that Milan is a big city with all those things that accompany big cities, like traffic, congestion, population density, and large scale tourism (think buses). So location was key, and the right location left me with a much better overall experience, because it minimized my need to deal with many of those big city issues.

 

Arrival

We landed at Malpensa international airport, which was on the outskirts of Milan, and the airport used by most long haul international flights. It was about a 50 minute train ride from Malpensa into central Milan. We landed at terminal one, and had no trouble finding the train to the center  of town, called the Malpensa Express.

We had had a 15 minute walk from the central train station to the apartment I selected for our three night stay in Milan. The apartment was conveniently located with easy access to the highlights of the city, and within a five minute walk of the Duomo, the Milan Cathedral.

We had no rental car while in Milan. As a matter of fact, it’s unwise to have a rental car in most large European cities, because getting around is much easier by walking, public transportation, and if necessary by taxi, if pressed for time. I do note that Uber is not a thing to do in Italy. Italy is the only place I’ve experienced Uber being more expensive, and more complex than taking an ordinary taxi ride, having tried it in Rome previously, and confirmed it in Milan.

 

Settling in

Our apartment in Milan was located on a quiet square, provided easy access to the old part of town, and most of the sights were within walking distance. The weather was a little on the warm and muggy side for this part of Italy. The really great thing about the apartment was that it had four air conditioning units, and kept the apartment to an American standard for summer cool. For Europe this is out of the ordinary!

 

The apartment was lovely, and I include some photos. It was large enough for a couple, and comfortable, with 14 foot high ceilings, and views over the city from the 9th floor. It was an excellent base of operation from which to explore the old part of Milan, and it definitely gave me that immersive feeling, like I was a local for a few days. The only downside was that our host Franco was a bit of a fascist. He not only required a deposit, but had a bookful of house rules, which included a complete inventory of the apartment’s contents, and generally lacked the patience to interact with his guests like a gentleman.

 

Discovery Trek

The very highlight of Milan has to be the Duomo. It is incomparable in Christendom as its third largest church. The largest of course is St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, followed by St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. However, the latter can’t hold a candle to the Duomo in Milan. It looks nothing like the others. It looks like nothing else I’ve experienced in my travels, with more than 3,200 sculptures and 135 spires adorning its exterior alone. It has flying buttresses – like many of the cathedrals from this era, but they’re hidden in its design so that they do not take the eye from the work of art that is the grand façade of this cathedral. The exterior façade and all of the interior, except sections of its roof, are done in marble from Lake Maggiore. It took five centuries to complete, with the very last of the work ordered by Emperor Napoleon for his coronation there as the King of Italy. The interior is equally majestic and impressive as the exterior. The word incomparable is unavoidable in describing this icon of Milan

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A treasure that can’t be missed in Milan is an oil painting on plaster depicting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It took DaVinci 3 years to complete the work of Art, which miraculously remained unharmed through the allied bombing raids in WWII, while the rest of the church sustained significant damage. It is a thing to behold, and difficult to describe with any chance of justice at all. Pictures can be taken and shared, but I found myself lacking the vocabulary needed to describe this work of art. Reservations are required, and view times are strict with visitors having at most 15 minutes to admire the work of Leonardo per visit.

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A Milan wonder that should be visited is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, named of the first king of unified Italy, but simply called the Galleria. It is one of the world’s oldest shopping malls, and it is just stunning to wander about. Filled with symbols of the major powers of Italy at the time of unification, like Milan, Rome, Florence, and Turin. The tourists pay special attention to the mosaic bull – the symbol for Turin, and stand in line to spin around 3 times on its genitals for good luck. As a result, there is a hole several inches deep where its genitals used to be. Ah, tourists.

 

And shopping should be on the agenda, even if not ordinarily inclined for that sort of thing – simply because it’s Milan. There a several kilometers of Corso Buenos Aires dedicated to the less expensive outlets, and discounters that draw local shoppers and tourists alike. People watching is a bonus, as I strolled along the avenue, taking it all in.

Walking around central Milan, I got the impression I was in a grand place. The old part of town had architectural structures around any given corner that grabbed my interest. My impression of Milan was that it is a preeminent city in Europe, with a pedigree all its own – but comparable to the likes of London, Paris, and Vienna. I do know that I wanted to return to catch some of sights I missing during my too short first visit.

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Food Scene

Milano Centro Cafe

This was a restaurant on the same piazza as our apartment, and frequented by locals for lunch only – not open for dinner. It was efficiently run to get the most throughput for the lunch hour – the wait staff moved around like Ricochet Rabbit the whole time we were there. Smoked, aged ham – Tyrol Speck – smoked Scamorza cheese, roasted potatoes. Mixed salad with grilled chicken. Good lunch at a reasonable price for Milano.

 

Viveca Pizza

No trip to Italy is complete without one stop for pizza. This restaurant was a 15 minute walk from our apartment, and was filled with locals (or at least Italian speakers) while we were there. Tre Salumi, with a little red wine. It was as good as I remembered, and still ponder what would happen if some Italian pizzeria would start slicing their pizzas for their customers. The unthinkable.

 

Dogana del Buongusto

We stopped in early for aperitivo. I had a sparkling rose and they offered us some prosciutto and bread as appetizers on the house. We ordered a cheese plate and a charcuterie plate, and we both had Osso Bucco as our main. The cheese plate was divine it had four different cheeses from around northern Italy and they were just so well balanced and just so tasty. The charcuterie plate also had good variety, was complementary to the cheese plate, and made me want to order another round. The Osso Buco was very tender – no knife was necessary, but wasn’t what I was used to previously. The risotto was a little al dente, which I expected, but still very good. The service was fabulous, very attentive, and the price overall was reasonable. This was the best restaurant experience in Milano.

 

Stop

This is a restaurant around the corner from the main drag Corso Buenos Aires. I could tell that it was a local place because it took three of the staff to translate veal shank. My wife ordered a seasonal salad with ham, cheese, egg and mixed vegetables. I ordered grilled lamb and a side salad. I was served a very generous portion of sparkling rose. The food was basic, but very good. The service was prompt. It was a nice place to stop over for lunch from our long shopping trek on Corso Buenos Aires.

 

Replay Mare

This place was just around the corner from our centrally located apartment. We had a rough time finding a restaurant that was open on Sunday and went here as a result of a recommendation from our host. They have a nice outside seating area as you work your way through a shopping area. I had the Spanish sardines with toast and butter, and my wife had octopus with mixed vegetables for appetizers. I had the sea bream with roasted potatoes as my main dish, and my wife had a mixed grill with julienne zucchini. The service was very prompt and the food was served piping hot.

 

Epilogue

Reflections on Milan. It’s a very large city, with a heart of gold, begging to be explored, discovered, and enjoyed. In retrospect, I would choose either early May or October for a return visit. I think this would provide for more temperate weather, as well as less tourist pressure.

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Northern Italy Travel Planning

Northern Italy Travel Planning - Milan, Genoa, Portofino, Verona, Como

Motivation – Northern Italy Travel Planning

This is about travel planning – an exercise in imagination regarding where to go, and moreover, why go there. It helps me set my own expectations about what’s to come at the selected destinations. The theme of this trip is a selected region within a single country – Northern Italy.

Italy is a country I continue to return to, and continue to discover, time and again. The regions I’ve already visited are varied, and differ from one another in geography, climate, cuisine, language, and other dimensions I have yet to discover. But they’re all interesting.  

Having passed through Milan several times previously in transit to Venice, and Florence, I knew I wanted to eventually spend time there. Milan is the anchor of this Northern Italy trip, being both its entry and exit points, with the rest of the destinations visited in a circuit.

I wanted to visit the Ligurian Italian Riviera, specifically the town of Portofino and thought it would work out well as a day trip from Genoa.

Having previously been to Venice, I wanted to further explore the Veneto region, and do so through stopovers in smaller towns that would present a different kind of profile, and less densely touristed. It was a toss-up between Vicenza and Verona. I picked Verona because it made a tighter geographic circuit, and it was closer to Lake Garda – I thought it might be nice to explore there if time permitted.

And finally, I needed to see Lake Como, and the wonderful towns, and villas dotting its shores that I’ve read so much about in the media, and travel blogs.

 

Itinerary – Northern Italy Travel Planning

The calendar allowed for 9 nights on this trip, scheduled over the American Independence Day holiday, the 4th of July.  Four destinations would be a challenging itinerary as transit time would cut into exploration and discovery, but I really wanted to see all four destinations. I thought Milan deserved the extra time as compared to the other 3 destinations as it was by far the grander city, with the most exploration to be done.

 

Milan – 3 nights

 

Genoa – 2 nights

 

Verona – 2 nights

 

Como – 2 nights

 

Logistics – Northern Italy Travel Planning

From my home base in Atlanta, nonstop flights to Milan are available through Delta, and Alitalia as a Delta code share. While non stop flights are by far the most convenient, they can be very expensive, especially for the summer high season. Typically finding nonstop round trip tickets under $1,000 is pretty rare because the International market is dominated by Delta, and the lack of competition out of Atlanta. But I happened upon a flash sale by Alitalia where they were discounting coach fare to under $700. At that price point it was a good value, so I jumped on the opportunity.

With 4 destinations, and each separated by a three hour drive from the previous on my selected circuit, it logistically made little sense to use trains, or any other public transportation as it would take even longer to get to the next destination. Trains in particular may have multiple stops, may not run on time, may require a change with added connection time, and so on. Therefore I elected to rent a car, and here too I found a bargain through Rentalcars.com on an Alfa Romeo.

Car rental is a bit different in Italy in that insurance coverage is compulsory for primary coverage. Most insurance comes with high deductibles, and full coverage is either not available or comes at a high price. I typically use American Express as my primary coverage when possible, or as the secondary coverage when primary insurance is compulsory, as in this case with Italy.  This has worked well for my personal situation.

I have a strong preference for apartments over hotels for several reasons. In general, apartments are a better value as compared to hotel rooms because they have much more space, can come with a washing machine so that both excess luggage and laundry services can be avoided, and are typically less expensive than hotel rooms – sometimes much less expensive for a much better experience. And the most important reason for apartments over hotel rooms is that it leads to a much more immersive experience for me.

I can find apartments in the center of the old part of town in most of the destinations of interest, which leads to more exploration time because I’m already located where I usually need to be for my style of travel, and I avoid transit time to the center of town. An apartment feels more like being a resident as compared to a hotel room. I found excellent apartments for each of the four destinations on this trip using a combination of Homeaway.com, and Booking.com

 

Resources – Northern Italy Travel Planning

Google Flights is my standard tool for research, and planning airfare. There are plenty of others, and I’ve tried most, but find that I really don’t need to save the very last nickel at the cost of spending more time chasing that nickel.

Booking.com, and Homeaway.com, were used to book all of the apartments for this trip. My preference is to avoid Airbnb because they’re not transparent with property locations, and do not promote the size of their properties in their standard description.  But I do use them if I can circumvent their deficiencies.

Google Maps is absolutely indispensable for planning purposes. I shudder to think what trip planning would be without it. I download the maps for the countries I travel, to avoid being out of cell range (highly unlikely in Europe), and to navigate should I exceed my daily data allowance.

Google Translate is installed on my phone and smart watch with Italian already downloaded for this trip. This way I can translate on the spur of the moment even if I have no data left for the day, or if I’m out of cell range (which still happens when indoors in some locations).

Tripadvisor is awesome for advanced travel planning, as well as finding a decent restaurant on the spot. 

 

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Český Krumlov

This is the 6th destination on our Western Slavic Countries itinerary as described in that Travel Planning post.

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We departed Olomouc by car, selecting the longest route available on google maps because I wanted to experience the most scenic drive possible. It was a cloudless, sunny Thursday morning as we departed central Olomouc. We started the drive on a highway for the first hour or so. And then we went on two lane country roads.

The first half was through wide open, large farmland with no trees in sight. It looked like corporate farms because they were so expansive. But about halfway through the trip we were on lonely two lane country roads. Sometimes so tight that it didn’t seem like two cars could have passed by. The terrain got hillier, and eventually the roads were tree-lined with beautiful vistas. The scenery with no vehicles either in front or behind us made for a wonderful driving experience.

 

Arrival

Cesky Krumlov is a picture-postcard pretty little town, and it’s definitely a tourist destination. With only a two and half hour bus trip from Prague, Cesky Krumlov is heavily visited by day tripping tourists.

Driving the BMW into town presented a problem or two. The roads were very  narrow and finding parking – even to move the luggage into the apartment, was problematic. Once again I was convinced that having a larger vehicle in Europe, especially in villages like this, was not a good idea. The roads were tight and narrow, with parking at a premium, and people driving aggressively. So I had to be on my guard in this tiny little town.

 

Settling in

The apartment was very centrally located on Ulica Latran, the main street through the little town. I could tell just from arrival that there was going to be some street noise at night because we were on the main drag through town. But this was expected, and  the central location outweighed the inconvenience of a little noise. The apartment was in fabulous shape, as advertised. It was a cute little place suitable for two people, and possibly a third adult, or a couple of children.

 

Discovery Trek

Cesky Krumlov radiates out from its large castle, with some of the castle complex dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. The castle is visible from most parts of town, guarding over it, and keeping it safe. The town is situated on 2 oxbows on the Vltava River, and is easily walkable end to end, criss-crossing the main streets on each oxbow in 1 hour – it’s that small.

However, just walking around Cesky Krumlov, at a very leisurely pace, taking it all in, I could see why so many tourists descend upon it for day trips. The little town was like a set from a Disney movie. It didn’t seem possible for one little place to have been so filled with charm.

 

The Vltava River flows through Cesky Krumlov, bringing a flotilla of holiday makers – most pass through, but some stop at the many restaurants along the water to grab lunch and get dry. The scene of water-borne merry-makers added to the carnival-like atmosphere brought on by the tour bus day trippers.

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And as I spent more time in Cesky Krumlov, I realized that the density of tourism made it feel like I was actually at a Disney park. All signage was in multiple languages, as were all menus at restaurants. Tourists arrived at points of interest in herds – about a bus-sized herd most of the time. I was reminded of the last time I visited Disney World in Florida. We continued exploration of the little town on our second day, meandering our way through Cesky Krumlov with the strategy of avoiding the tour group throngs.

 

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Food Scene

Restaurace Bolero

This was a lovely restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the river, and we watched the recreational “floaters” drift by.

Grilled sausage and a salad. It doesn’t get any simpler or tastier. They do have an extensive menu, but we were interested in what passes for lighter fare. Service was fast and efficient. Very nice first stop in Cesky Krumlov!

 

Restaurace Konvice

This restaurant was difficult to find because Google Maps had it mislocated, and had to ask twice for directions. The terrace has only six tables with views of the castle tower and the church over the red rooftops in the foreground, only 3 with really good views. Worth arriving early to get a nice terrace view table.

Roasted brown trout, parslied potatoes, mixed salad, carrot cake for dessert. Because it was roasted, the trout could have had crispier skin. It was however tender and juicy. A leisurely setting with a great view, good service, and value. The prices were reasonable for Cesky Krumlov.

 

Restaurace Babylon

This place is situated right along the river with a view of one of the main churches, and you can hear the bells ringing right from the waterfront tables where we were sitting. Lovely scenery on the water, watching all of the holidaymakers raft down the river, with ducks and fish right below us.  My wife loves to feed the fish and ducks, so there’s always a little scenery to be enjoyed. The menu is simple and it was a good value in hyper touristy CK.

Zander (Asian game fish imported to parts of Central Europe) with potatoes and greens, salad and grilled veggies. Tried a local pilsner style beer, Eggenberg (33 czk!), very good. The cuisine was basic, but well prepared, good service, excellent value, and the views couldn’t be beat.

 

We liked this place so much that we decided to come back a second time for dinner. We wanted to have grilled pork knuckle for our last dinner in the Czech Republic. It speaks volumes about the quality of the service and the food. Dinner was hearty and very good. I can’t believe this place isn’t rated higher on Tripadviser.

 

Restaurant Griechenbeisl

We had dinner here when staying in Vienna overnight to catch the return flight the following day. This restaurant claims to have been in operation since 1447. Our experience here was very good. The service was excellent, in spite of the fact that they were very busy. Service went with on with Germanic efficiency. We ordered herb encrusted fillet of char, risotto with pak choi, and grilled, skewered prawns with coconut-ginger orange sauce pasta.

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Zum Basilisken

We had a late lunch here when staying in Vienna overnight to catch the flight out the following day. This restaurant received horrific reviews on Tripadvisor, especially from people that didn’t know they’d be charged for items offered on the table upon arrival which weren’t ordered.

Clear beef soup with liver dumplings, Viennese scallop with roast potatoes, and apple strudel for dessert. The soup was served so hot that it was not immediately edible, but it was delicious with patience. The Wienerschnitzel was was served piping, and it  was fresh and delicious. My only complaint about this restaurant was that the beer was a bit flat.

 

Vienna Overnight

We stayed a single night in Vienna to accommodate the first leg of our return flight, which was scheduled early. We stayed in the center of town within easy walking distance to restaurants, and a short Uber ride to the airport. The two restaurants we tried while in Vienna were very good, and highly recommended, although ordering a beer didn’t work well for me at one of them – details in the Food Scene section.

We did a mini discovery trek in Vienna, about a six mile walk along the river, then returned back towards our apartment with dinner along the way. It was more exercise than anything else, as the scenery was rather big-city ordinary where we were staying.

 

Epilogue

Cesky Krumlov was by far the least immersive traveling experience of the Western Slavic Countries Itinerary. The Tour Bus Day-Trippers from Prague, and Vienna descended on this little town in herds and hordes, making it feel more like a trip to a large amusement park, rather than a picture-perfect village surrounding a grand castle – with history that dates back to the 13th century. It was very interesting, particularly around the Vltava River – but about as immersive as an outing to Disneyland with thousands of adolescents.

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Olomouc

This is the 5th destination on our Western Slavic Countries itinerary as described in that Travel Planning post.

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We set off from Wroclaw To Olomouc along a scenic route I found via Google maps. After a stretch on the A4 toll road, we were on tree-lined, twisting and turning two lane roads as we drove through the hillsides, with farmland peering through the trees. And as time went by, we saw the landscape become hillier and trending toward mountainous. But all along the way we had two lane roads where we couldn’t drive more than 50 miles an hour or so. And at many points we had the road completely to ourselves, with not a soul in front, nor behind. There was some occasional congestion, as it was a main artery for traffic along the north-south corridor between Poland and the Czech Republic. It was a wonderful drive, interesting, appealing to the eye, and relaxing.

Głuchołazy Stopover

It was the last chance to spend our Zloty before leaving Poland for the Czech Republic. We chose Głuchołazy as it was larger than most of the towns we passed through, somewhat midway to Olomouc, and were hopeful to find a cafe for a quick bite to eat. As we pulled into town, we found the main square, parked the car, and walked around for a bit. We eventually stumbled onto a little café for an early lunch. We had a cappuccino, a cup of tea, and a couple of sandwiches, all for $7 US. Poland was inexpensive, and we would learn soon enough that the Czech Republic was even less expensive.

Arrival

The first thing we did as we entered the Czech Republic was to find a gas station to buy a vignette for the vehicle – essentially a road tax sticker – which allowed us to legally drive on Czech roads. This was not an especially easy thing to do as the lovely young lady at the gas station spoke zero words of English, and I only know two words in Czech, neither of them would’ve helped in that particular situation. However, with the help of Google translate, I was able to figure it out, and off we went.

Arrival in Olomouc was easy. It was an uncongested smaller city with a population of 100,000. Navigating to the center of town and parking close to the apartment was delightfully straightforward after a long, but enjoyable day on the road.

Our hostess showed us the apartment, and it turned out to be lovelier than it was depicted on Booking.com. The apartment in Kraków was grand and luxurious but this one was better. It had better lighting, with nice views from its large windows. It had a balcony overlooking a quiet courtyard. Centrally located, immaculately clean, and it felt comfortable.

The apartment had high ceilings and crystal chandeliers in all the rooms, including the bathroom. The bedroom had French doors. All of the doors in the apartment had etched glass and ornate hardware. The floors were a herringbone parquet throughout. There was a lovely level of detail throughout the apartment. This was the kind of place I would choose as base of operation were I to move to Europe.

Settling In

The town was so pleasantly uncrowded, and to say it was lightly touristed is an understatement. I think we were among the very few non-locals in town. Walking around, even in the town’s main squares, was easy and very relaxing. The town was laid back, and unhurried – a contrast to the larger cities of Krakow and Wroclaw that we had visited earlier in the week.

I hesitate to use the term “mini-Prague”, but it is appropriate. Prague was beautiful when I last visited in 2012, but it was definitely discovered and densely touristed. Strolling along the Charles Bridge in Prague’s old town – simply stretching out each arm to its full length would have touched three tourists with each hand. Not so in Olomouc, with similar architecture and design as Prague, but with no crowds, and aside from myself and my wife, apparently very few tourists as well.

Discovery Trek

And so we arrived in Olomouc, the historical capital of ancient Moravia, a kingdom that existed for hundreds of years before joining with Bohemia to form what is now the modern day Czech Republic. Moravia forms the Eastern third of the Czech Republic, with Olomouc at its center. Olomouc is also the ancient seat of the Bishops of Moravia, with references to the bishopric in literature dating to the 10th century. Olomouc is steeped in the cultural and religious history of the people of Moravia, which easily discovered with a stroll through town.

Some of the highlights of Olomouc have to be the number of beautiful and historic churches in town, with the most prominent being St. Wenceslas Cathedral, founded in the early 12th century. But there are a half dozen others, including Saint Maurice, Saint Michael, John Sarkander Chapel, and The Orthodox Church – scattered throughout the town.

The old part of town had construction and restoration projects in progress during our stay, including roadwork on the characteristic cobblestone roads found throughout town. Even the construction projects were interesting because they exposed the history of the city through the process.

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Olomoucké Tvarůžky

I love food, and I travel in particular to try new, local fare. And so, I was on the hunt for the famous stinky cheese that is sourced in this destination. Olomoucké tvarůžky is the stinky, ripened soft cheese that bears the city’s name. I’ve read about, I’ve seen travelogs describing it, and I wanted to try it. But finding it proved to be elusive, even with advice from from our lovely hostess. As it turns out, we were too early in the season – the cheese needs to age for several months, and only attains it stinky goodness towards the end of the year.

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Food Scene

Hanacka hospoda

Pork knee, goulash, grilled veggies, fresh veggies, and Olomouc cheese spread to start. Apparently there was a bit of translation issue, and the cheese turned out to be a pork fat spread, which wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what we were looking for. After further advice from my landlady via sms, we ordered what we thought was the right cheese. But alas we failed to get the right pungent stuff. It took an hour to cook the pork knuckle, so we have a second round of appetizers which, was a really bad idea. I didn’t know the difference between a pork knuckle, and a pork knee – but when it arrived, it was as big as my head. Very crispy skin, fatty, but with lots of meat. It was an enormous amount of food. It was every bit as good as it looks, if you like pork. The vegetables helped. There were lots of spicy vinegary peppers, raw horseradish, mustard, and raw vegetables. The meal could have easily served 4 people, and was very inexpensive at under $40 including a generous tip.

Cafe New One

This enormous cafe has incredible 90 Mbps up/down free wifi. And the food with drinks were very reasonable. Egg with ham scramble, croissant, cappuccino, and black tea.

Restaraucja Maravska

Platter with smoked meats, sausage and Olomoucké tvar?žky cheese (the famous stinky variety, I hoped), trout filet over risotto, perch fillet in garlic butter, grilled veggies – on the table starter: baked phyllo strips, lightly salted with dill seed. The platter came with an apple horseradish sauce which went well in particular with the sausage, and the ham. The apple mellowed the strong horseradish flavor. The tvaruzki was surprisingly mild, I was bracing myself. The goose pate was rich and smooth, and the pine nuts added an interesting texture. The serving of trout was generous, the risotto had a sweet paprika and zesty tomato influence. The perch was very mild, as were the patties of garlic butter. The food was very good, they have 2 items on the table on arrival which will go on your bill if you touch them.

Svatovaclavsky Pivovar

St. Wenceslaus Specialty

Typical Pivovar we’ve seen in Slovakia which brew their own beer and serve hearty fare at reasonable prices.

Beef flank steak, pork tenderloin, chicken breast, smoked boneless pork knee, chicken wings, green salad. It was every bit as good as it looks in the photo, with the smoked pork knee, and wings as the tastiest. The wings were fall off the bone tender, baked with zesty paprika flavor – not spicy. And there just was enough of the smoked pork knee, it was that good. The rest was good, but paled by comparison to the wings and pork knee. More lumberjack food.

Epilogue

Olomouc was by far the most immersive travel experience on our Western Slavic Country circuit. Among the contributing factors were the relatively smaller population, the long history of the city in the millennium of Moravian culture, and of course the lovely local folks. Adding to the allure is the affordability factor – I had a conversation with our lovely hostess trying to understand the cost of living in Olomouc. The beautiful apartment we had as our residence in the city would rent for 600 euros on a monthly basis. I would be tempted, but not based on affordability alone, although it’s always a factor. Olomouc would be a lovely base of operations to explore Europe for an extended period of time.

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Wrocław

This is the 4th destination in the Western Slavic Countries circuit as described in that Travel Planning post.

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We drove through green, rolling countryside on tree lined roads with a backdrop of beautiful blue skies, on a  sunny day. It was mostly two lane roads but they were very well-maintained and traffic was not particularly dense as it was Sunday morning. We drove through little town after little town, all of them very well-maintained and they looked upscale as compared to what we’d seen in Slovakia. Poland was definitely a rung up on the economic ladder as compared to the Slovak Republic.

 

Wadowice Day Trip

En route to Wroclaw, we made a stop in Wadowice to visit the museum and family home of Pope John Paul II,  and to explore the town around its main square. Wadowice is a relatively small town with a Central Square that, like a magnet, held all of the interesting parts of town hovering near it – the rest of the town was unremarkable. The museum to Pope John Paul II was next to the main church in the central square. Wadowice looked like all the little towns we passed through on the way. It looked clean, orderly and well-maintained , resembling Austrian or German villages in that regard.

 

Arrival

As we left Wadowice, the countryside turned from rolling and hilly – reminiscent of West Virginia or southeastern Ohio, and eventually blended into a more flat landscape, with a steady array of farms. Beautiful, pastoral, green countryside rolled out in front of us, mile after mile, adding to the pleasure of the drive. The sight-seeing eye candy on our 2 lane road was interrupted every 10 minutes or so, as we passed through the next quaint little town. Southern Poland was lovely.

 

Settling in

As we arrived into Wroclaw, I noticed that the the city was different than Kraków. Kraków was spotlessly clean, not only in the old part of town but everywhere we wandered through. Wroclaw as a bit scruffy as compared to Krakow, which is more of a commentary on how spotlessly clean Krakow was, rather than anything negative about Wroclaw.

We found a secure parking lot within a five minute walk of the apartment and dropped off our rental car there. On arrival to the apartment, it wasn’t exactly as represented on Booking.com. The apartment looked like it clearly needed some maintenance, and there were things that didn’t function properly. I was willing to tolerate this inconvenience because of the unbelievable location of the apartment, and it’s proximity to the old town.

 

We dropped off our luggage and went about some initial exploration with the idea of finding a place to eat, and stretching our legs after a long day driving. As it turned out, it started to rain, and we ducked into a restaurant within walking distance before we got too wet. The restaurant – Karczma Lwowska – turned out to be really good, an excellent introduction to Wroclaw. It rained very hard for the next two hours as we enjoyed one of the finer meals we had in Poland. Details in the Food Scene section.

The following morning, as we were preparing for our main day of exploration in Wroclaw, the electricity went out at the apartment, and I notified our host immediately of the issue. We were advised that it would take a couple of hours to repair, so we went about our discovery trek. The electrical problem turned out to be an all day affair, and they were never able to restore power. We had to relocate to a different apartment. The secondary apartment was not in the old part of town, and  required a 20 minute walk to get back to it. We were very disappointed; it goes to show that no matter how well planned the trip, things go wrong, and you’ve got to roll with the punches.

 

Discovery trek

Unlike Krakow’s unscathed survival of the wars of the 20th century, Wroclaw (while it was still the German city of Breslau) as devastated at the end of WWII.  Half of its medieval old town was in ruins, which fared better than the outskirts of the city which were leveled to the ground. The city was among the last to fall during WWII in a bloody siege where tens of thousands lost their lives in defense of the city. Breslau became Wroclaw as the Germans ceded the territory to Poland as part of the post war agreements at the Potsdam Conference. The Poles flowed in following the German exodus.

But the city recovered. The photos will tell the story. The trauma of the 20th century yielded to reconstruction and a grand population inflow post WWII. Wroclaw flourished in spite of the constraints of the Communist era, and bloomed in the the 21st century.  It was hard to imagine that the 20th century destruction ever occurred based on casual observation from walking around the city. Beautifully restored, with the old town along the river, flowing through a half dozen enchanting islands on the Oder River.

 

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Gnomes!

The Poles call them “Krasnoludek”, or dwarves – to me they’re gnomes. And there are hundreds of them scattered throughout the city. This all started with a single statue to honor a group called the Orange Alternative, a counter-Communism group from Poland’s struggle through the end of the Communist era. Since 2001 when that first statue was erected, tiny – about the size of a human hand – statues have appeared all over the city. They are cute, impish and mischievous looking little things that spring around any given corner. It added to the delight of this lovely city.

 

Food Scene

Karczma Lwowska

The restaurant is on the main square with great views to the cathedral and just of the square itself. The service is professional with the waiter making suggestions and adjustments to your order as necessary. We ordered herring with onion and beets in cream sauce, grilled Polish kielbasa, fried cabbage, grilled mushrooms. The kielbasa was grilled to perfection, served with zingy horseradish and a mild mustard. The fried cabbage turned out be more of a casserole with a creamy dill sauce. I liked it, it went well with the meal. The green salad was enormous and could have easily served 4, with fresh ingredients. For dessert, traditional wafers filled with chocolate and walnuts. It was very light, with more of a hint of chocolate instead of chocolate as the core. We were offered honey vodka with a touch of orange as a digestif.

 

Pod Fredra

Pate stuffed with mushrooms, chicken soup, duck, rabbit, fried mushrooms with garlic and green salad. The soup was served extremely hot and tasted as if it were a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth – it was very good. The pate was very dense, served with a cranberry sauce and bread. It was rich, but not creamy like what I’m used to from France, for example. The cranberry sauce added an interesting contrast. The duck was served as two legs and thighs, fall off the bone tender. The duck came with sliced fried potato and cranberry sauce. The grilled mushrooms were not actually grilled, kind of soft, as if stewed. Not bad, but not as advertised on the menu. The rabbit was very tender, and not in the least gamey – the tastes-like-chicken standard applies.

 

Epilogue

The immersive experience in Wroclaw was made difficult by the antics of our apartment rental team. This was a corporate rental, named Penguin Apartments, that likely specialized more in hostels than in apartments. But the city was truly remarkable, with a long history spanning to the 10th century when the first Slavic tribes settled into the city’s current location on the Oder River. The city developed character from all of the hands that it has passed between over the centuries – a long list that includes, Bohemians, Prussians, Poles, and Hapsburgs. Wroclaw was a beautiful discovery experience.

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Kraków

This is the 3rd destination in the Western Slavic Countries circuit as described in that Travel Planning post.

 

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The route from Kosice to Kraków was mostly a 2-lane road with construction at many points along the way. As the main route, it handled all traffic including trucks, farm equipment, bicyclists and all vehicles imaginable. As such, it made for some interesting driving – the kind where keen attention is necessary as anything may come around the next curve in the road.

 

We broke up the four and a half hour trip with a stopover in a little ski village in the southernmost part of Poland called Krynica. It was so small that we walked its entire length in 15 minutes. We stopped for enough time to stretch our legs, and grab a little bite to eat – to satisfy ourselves for the remainder of the drive into Kraków.  

 

I noticed that the countryside changed once we entered Poland – from a rolling meadow in Slovakia to more of a woodland landscape, and trending toward mountainous. And as as we entered Poland, I noticed that we had climbed to a higher rung on the economic ladder in Central Europe. Gone was any leftover communist era construction. Most of the houses looked very well-kept, larger, more ornate, and located in remote areas. I guessed that they could have been weekend, or vacation homes for well to do city dwellers.

On entering the city limits of Krakow, I knew right away that we were in a much larger city than Bratislava and Kosice. Traffic was thick and slow. I had the GPS in the BMW programmed to guide us to a plaza close to where our apartment was located in the old town. Finding parking was a panic. We ended up at an attended 24 hour parking garage that would cover us for three days of parking for a mere 105 Zloty, the equivalent of maybe $30. A bargain given that it was staff operated 24 hours around the clock, and I wouldn’t have to worry about the BMW at any point in time.

 

Arrival

It was a short five minute walk from the parking garage to the pedestrian center of the old town on Florianska Street. I gasped as we walked through the gate into  the old town, having passed a McDonald’s in the process. I reflected on the lesson learned from my experience in Bordeaux, where our apartment there on Saint Catherine Street was within walking distance to a McDonald’s, and the location turned out to be too touristy.

Florianska street was definitely well touristed because it was part of the “Royal Route”, which starts at the Florianska Gate and works its way to Wawel Castle through the Market Square – passing right by our apartment. The route was taken by Polish kings as the preferred path to their coronations in the 14th through 16th centuries, and has many of the old town’s attractions along the way. So naturally, there were tourists. And a McDonald’s.

It was a good choice to have selected Bratislava and Kosice as the first and second stops on the Western Slavic Countries itineraries because they were good warm-ups for the grander, more visited Krakow.

 

Settling in

The apartment was fabulous. It was grand, spacious, and very accommodating for two people. While it had a single bedroom, it was capable of entertaining a dozen guests. It had ten foot ceilings, large doorways, and near floor to ceiling windows that faced on to Florianska Street. An unbelievable three night residence, priced competitively, centrally located, and less expensive than a hotel room within walking distance of the old town.

 

After settling into our new home for 3 nights, we were ready to stretch our legs and do some initial exploration in the vicinity of the apartment. The area is truly steeped in history, with consistent architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries throughout – with no damage from the wars that scarred so many beautiful European cities. I must have looked like country bumpkin on his first visit to New York City – wide-eyed as I walked around taking it all in.

We were famished after driving all day with a light meal for lunch. Fortunately, our lovely hostess left us several strong recommendations for restaurants focusing on local fare. She insisted we visit Ogniem I Mieczem (The Fire and Sword) first to set the expectation for food in Krakow, advising us to take a taxi, which we did. The meal was spectacular, and is detailed in the Food Scene section. The food was so good, and so filling that we did not take a taxi back to the apartment, electing instead to walk off some of the thousands of calories we just enjoyed. What a great introduction to the Krakow.

 

Walking tour

Normally I like to roll my own for this sort of thing, but there was an organized walking tour of the old town that met at 10:00 by the Barbican, which was very close to our apartment, so we joined them. I wanted to get the lay of land from a local. As it turned out, our guide was a graduate of the famous Uniwersytet Jagiello?ski (Pope John Paul II’s Alma Mater), with a degree in history. He was a tall, bearded man in his late 30s, called himself a BFG (big friendly giant), although his name was Calen. He was very knowledgeable, and entertaining.

The tour hit some of the highlights of the old town – Main Market Square with St Mary’s church, Cloth Hall and Town Hall Tower, remains of Medieval city walls with Barbican and St Florian Gate, St Francis Church, Bishop’s Palace and “Papal window”, Wawel Hill with Cathedral and Wawel Castle, and the Wawel Dragon.

 

Discovery Trek

We did the “Royal Route”, which starts at the Florianska Gate and works its way to Wawel Castle – as mentioned previously, this was the route taken by Polish kings as the preferred path to their coronations in the 14th through 16th centuries. But we also criss-crossed the old town, and headed to the Jewish quarter – called Kazimierz. We then walked a good stretch of the Vistula River as we circled our way back to the old town.

The photo gallery tells the story. But the feeling I had as I walked the old town and the surrounding sights was that of a deeply historic city, untouched by the horrific bombings and battles of the wars of the 19th century. The city was in impeccable order, clean, and well preserved. The crowds were there, but they too were orderly, and generally lacked the tourist density everywhere I walked. Krakow was the Poland of old, the ancient seat of the Polish Monarchy, the pride of the country, and having heard Calen describe it over a period of several hours, the most beautiful and important city in Poland. I could not have argued. Krakow was one of the most beautiful immersive traveling experiences I’ve ever had. I hope the photos do it some justice.

 

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The scene is the central square, which is busy with both tourists and locals. Some of the nicer restaurants are on this square, so it draws a lot of attention. Beyond the people congestion – there are horses. Now with that in mind, notice how neat and tidy the area is. Remember, there are horses here.

 

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Food Scene

Ogniem I Mieczem

“Fire and sword.” Boneless pork knuckle, baby back ribs, fire roasted potato, and cabbage. Wow. What a meal. The ribs were fall off the bone tender, seasoned with garlic. No American style rib sauce. Finger licking good. The boneless pork knuckle was the center of attraction. Crisp on the outside, gooey, fatty, meaty on the inside. Best I’ve ever had. In addition to the high quality of the food, the service was superior. A great intro to the Krakow food scene. I would highly recommend this fine place.

 

Pod Nosem

This restaurant changes their menu monthly to keep their offerings fresh. Slow cooked bacon over radish slices. Baltic salmon, Zander (Baltic perch-pike caught regionally) with white and green asparagus, and a pesto style foundation. The salmon was beautifully presented, arranged as a rose, with very mild radish garnish, crispy, crunchy with no bite at all. That was very flavorful, and sliced rather thick to deliver more flavor per bite. The stuff that looked like black caviar was a garnish mix of black olives, browned bread, almonds, and olive oil. It added an unexpected dimension of flavor to the plate. The Zander main course was also well presented, with a combination of ingredients that worked together very well. Someone knows what they’re doing in this kitchen. Service was a bit slow, but impeccable . This was memorable.

 

W Starej Kuchni

Beef and pork Pierogi, Polish cuisine sampler, with white and dark sausage, cabbage roll, 3 types of pierogi, potato pancake with goulash, and cabbage. The dark sausage had a bland grain filling – not a highlight. The potato pancake was very crisp, with the spicy goulash was a contrast. The white sausage had a bit of thyme to add some flavor, but was not a standout. The beef and pork pierogi were crispy and meaty, but rather neutral otherwise. The entire meal was rather middle of the road.

 

Miodova – in the Jewish quarter

Pink Matias herring with beets caviar served with red onion, cherries, pan fried halibut with broad bean and pea purée, perch filet with young cabbage and sour cucumber foam. The herring was delightfully fishy and tangy. The cherries turned out to be beet hearts, and the caviar too were tiny beet jewels. The halibut was cooked well with crispy skin and flaky white meat. The pea and bean purée was not to my liking, the flavor combination wasn’t working. The perch was cooked well with crispy skin and flaky white fish. The young cabbage worked well in combination with the fish. The service was really slow which detracted from the experience.

 

Jarema

Steak tartare, roast wild boar, veal pirogi, mixed green salad. The tartare came with sardines, dill pickle relish, chopped onion, pickled mushroom, a dab of butter, and a tiny quail egg. Really good combination of flavors, and different than any steak tartare I’ve previously had anywhere. Great appetizer. The roasted wild boar came in a mushroom sauce, very mild. No hint of gamey flavor, to my disappointment – tasted more like roast beef. Good but unexpected. The veal pirogis were simple, just filled with ground veal, and the dumpling pastry rolled out very thin, a light affair with a drizzle of olive oil. Hot apple pie with ice cream and a chocolate mousse for dessert. The service was fabulous. This place is memorable.

 

Epilogue

Reflections on Kraków. I was sad to leave Kraków, even though I knew I had half the Western Slavic Countries itinerary in front of me. I wanted to stay and linger longer. I concluded that I could live in Kraków for a season, if not a year. Beautiful people, extremely gracious hosts, wonderfully good food, and drink. Architecture and history that spans the centuries, in the heart of Poland. This was a very immersive experience, and a memorable destination. 

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Immersive Travel Motivation

Immersive Travel Motivation

Immersive Travel Motivation 

As if I needed a reason – I travel because the voyage fulfills so many needs for me personally. I want to share with you some of the themes that come to mind when I think about what motivates me to travel, and why I want to have an immersive traveling experience.

Leisure

This is the primary reason for me, and it’s fairly self explanatory. We all do those things that are necessary in our lives, and we travel to relax, and escape our work-a-day worlds. I need the kind of relaxation that happens as a new historical destination unfolds before me, as I meander my way through it.

Discovery

Discovery comes in many forms and dimensions, and is a primary driver for travel for most people. Exploration yields the pure joy of discovering new places, meeting new people, tasting new foods, sampling new wines, and becoming one with the locals for a few days.

Culture

The ways people live, and go about their lives, eat, entertain, and work. It varies greatly between countries, and even cities within countries. Different aspects of life are emphasized, for example – the balance between work and home, depending on the destination explored. The incredible cultural contrast among the destinations visited – from the fastidious and punctual, to laissez faire hedonism, and La Dolce Vita, I am both delighted and respectful as I take part in the local ways of life.

History

There is no better way to experience history than being in a destination that is steeped in it. The world is dotted with historic destinations, cities, and locations, waiting to be discovered and explored through an immersive travel experience. I could spend a lifetime exploring Europe alone.

Architecture

Historic, from antiquity, spanning the centuries and sometimes the millennia – architecture does something to the soul that observes it. The appreciation of interesting architecture fills the imagination with the stories that might be retold – if only the marble, and brick had a voice.

Cuisine

Everyone loves food, following their own proclivities, and inclinations. But the person with an open mind, a broad palate, and just the right amount of adventurousness and curiosity will discover food and drink worthy of kings and royalty. All over the world, cuisine discovered there often is reason alone for the voyage.

Enlightenment

Immersive travel is broadening, personally enriching, and changes your perspective on the world without making any kind of overt effort to do so. It just happens, and it is amazing. I find myself reflecting on trips and destinations, knowing that I’m both a different, and better person from having made the journey.

Wanderlust

Of this sin, I am so guilty. It is my affliction. I am not alone. And no amount of travel as a tonic quenches this thirst. I hope it never will.

Bucket List

Our youth don’t understand the importance of the Bucket List as a concept. It’s the sort of thing that emerges as you grow older, and reflect on your life, and the things that really matter. What do I really want. What do I really need. And why don’t I do those things that really matter to me, when it’s all said and done. It’s the sort of thing that happens when “maturity” gets old. Travel scratches a lot of itches for many, many people – especially those afflicted with the torment.

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