Yes, the focus of my trip in Italy was consumption. Consumption of wine, delicious food, and gelato. I had a fabulous time with Brian and Justin - they were awesome traveling companions! I may have made a mistake the night before I left by dancing at a night club in Kyiv until I had to depart for the airport (but hey, it saved me the cost of a night in a hotel and I spent time with friends). Once I arrived in Venice, I made my way to the hotel to meet Brian and Justin. It was exciting to experience the water buses (pictured below). I have a confession - when I sat down in the "bus stop" on the water, I actually thought the "stop" was the boat and that we were waiting for this dock to depart. Until the bus-boat pulled up, then I quickly figured out that I needed to transfer onto the boat... oh, the surprises of traveling!
After I exited the bus, I followed my directions carefully while unable to stop salivating from the smells of the restaurants I passed. I stopped to check my directions, when I heard someone yelling my name. Sure enough, Justin was in the second floor window of our hotel (pictured below) and Brian was walking out to meet me. I'm so glad they happened to be looking out the window because I would have walked right past the obscure entrance.
Once I was settled in, we left the hotel to explore Venice. Here are some pictures from our walk:
Chiesa degli Scalzi (Church of the Barefoot) - yes, I captured the gelato in this picture on purpose. Thought this was an accurate representation of my thoughts: "oh, nice church... gelato, gelato, gelato."
Brian and Justin in front of St. Mark's Basilica:
This picture reminds me of DisneyLand - one of those themed-lands, you know? The colors, the water, everything is perfect. Not sure if I would ever want to live here, but it is so interesting to observe.
When leaving the hotel, one option is to call a water taxi. Here is Justin loading into our personal water taxi. Most expensive taxi ride I've ever experienced, but fun!
Here are some pictures from the Jewish Ghetto. Jews were forced to live in this area under the Venetian Republic and this area still remains the center of Jewish life in Venice.
A rememberance monument dedicated to the Venetian Jews who were forced to board trains "like cattle" during World War II.
Walking along the water was incredibly refreshing. The weather was warm, in comparison to the weather I had left in Ukraine.
Love this picture of Brian and Justin! Also want to extend my congratulations to the two of them - they were engaged during this trip! So exciting and I'm looking forward to the wedding!
After two days in Venice, we made our way to the Piedmont Region - which is famous for its wine production. Here is a picture of the house we stayed at, just outside of Asti. (Our door is the last on the bottom floor and it was a cozy apartment.)
Pictured below is the small town near where we staying, which was about a five-minute drive away. This picture does not give the town justice. It was amazing to see the rolling hills with small towns (such as this one) tucked near the top... and usually with a castle towering over the town.
Our first wine tour was the following day at Boroli's Winery. They must have thought we were wine distributors from the states because we received the royal treatment! Mr. Boroli showed us around the winery, then we tasted different types of wine in a beautiful room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the vineyards. Not only was Mr. Boroli there, but also the hotel and restaurant manager (a friendly Italian man) and his girlfriend, who had recently moved from Russia. Here's a picture of Brian and I outside the restaurant and hotel:
Boroli wine: I enjoyed the Moscato d'Asti and the Barbera (Quatero Fratelli, pictured below - still aging). Highly recommend purchasing this type of wine in the states. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to purchase boxed wine in Ukraine again.
We followed this royal treatment up with an 8-course almost-private lunch at Locanda del Pilone (
http://www.locandadelpilone.com/en/home.htm). The restaurant and hotel are recent additions to the winery and the restaurant just earned its first Michelin star. Definitely one of the best meals I've ever experienced!
Here's the view from another winery we visited...
Brian and Justin teaming up to figure out how to pump gas. Took some extra time at the gas station...
In a small village, we came across this trio. I couldn't walk away without taking a picture. I love this photo...
Just before I left for Italy, my oblast had a meeting. Here are my favorite pictures from our gathering:
Ben, Alia, and me
The other volunteers in my oblast (I see these folks at least once a month... they're great people and definitely an important part of my support system in Ukraine).
Today at school, I met with a teacher from Moscow, Idaho who is visiting my town on a teacher exchange program. She probably thought I was desperate for conversation with another American - the way I demanded a dinner date with her ;) It will be nice having her in town for a couple weeks.
Wishing you a happy and healthy start to spring!
Take care,
Nat
