Traveling abroad...

[Ljohnsaw]

No, not a traveling board ;)

My son is doing his second semester in jr. college as a "learning abroad" semester in Florence, Italy.  I'm very proud of him - he got a job and saved up for about 8 months, paying for the whole trip.  He's having fun and has his spring break from 3/17 to 3/26.  So I'm flying over Monday/Tuesday 3/13-3/14.  As part of my flight, I'll be in Frankfurt for 6.5 hours so I'll go out and about for a few hours.

I'll only be in Florence for 2 nights before we rent a car and head up to Genoa for 2 nights, then head over to Venice for lunch, Trieste for a look-see and finally to Rijeka for 7 nights.  We'll be driving around wherever a whim takes us.  Maybe trekking down to Greece for a day?  My son already has an Instagram site with lots of pics and videos and I set up one.  I'll probably post my pics on there if I can figure out this new fangled smart phone.

Once we return to Florence on the 28th, I'll probably hang out for a few days before deciding on my next destination.  Maybe a train through the Alps on my way to Belgium and the UK.  Or maybe head south down to Spain or Portugal for warmer weather.

I only need to be back by the time the snow melts at my cabin build.  Probably the 4th of July : :-\

Any suggestions of must-sees?

[Log-it-up]

Unsure of any must see, but have fun sounds like a great trip

[SawyerTed]

San Gimignano
Orvieto

Both are great!

[fluidpowerpro]

I've been to Italy a few times and always loved it. Although out of your way, I would recommend trying to take in the Amalfi coast.

[Sedgehammer]

Ummm, ijohnsaw ...... learning a broad can be risky. STDs, pregnancy and related. Best should be done after marriage or at least after engagement. Just sayin ....... 🤰

[Old Greenhorn]

First, you can never really learn a broad, that's a fallacy. I've been hard at it for 47 years and making little progress.
 Second I have to say I am offended by your remarks Sege and I would report them were it not for the fact that I found them funnier than heck. :D :D :D

[rusticretreater]

There's a joke in there somewhere about the village bicycle.

[WV Sawmiller]

John,

   I never visited Italy while I was working and traveling overseas so the only suggestion I can make is read John Grisham's book "Playing for Pizza" and have a good time.

[dougtrr2]

We visited Italy.   In Florence, the David is a must see.  I was fortunate enough to find a place to sit a few feet away.  I probably sat there at least 10 minutes just taking it in.

We also were in Venice.  My regret there was not seeing if I could get a tour of a gondola factory.  I think they are still built using old school techniques.

When we were there it was group of four.  We traveled very light and would do laundry as needed.  In Florence we needed to do laundry.  Being the considerate husband I am, I gathered up all the laundry, took the room key so I wouldn't wake the wife on my return.   At that hotel, like many European hotels, you leave your key at the front desk and pick it when you come back.  At this particular hotel they would hang it on a hook.  But, that hook was connected to a relay that turned off ALL the power to the room.  So my wife was left in the dark!  

Remember how I said I took ALL the laundry?  My wife had to go down to the desk in her nightgown and with the language barrier, get them to understand that she was still in the room and needed the lights back on.  We still laugh about it. :D

Doug in SW IA

[WV Sawmiller]

   The statue of David reminds me I had an Arkansas Razorback buddy working a project is Saudi - Grand Central Station for Islam - and he went to Greece or Italy with the family and found a small stature of David and bought it and brought it back in his luggage planning on shipping it home with his household goods at the end of the project. When he got to the airport in Jeddah and the inspectors checked his luggage they found it. These inspectors are the ones that tear out the back pages of magazines with the beer and whisky ads and use indelible pens to color in the pictures of ladies legs and arms if they are in knee length or sleeveless dresses. (Of course the ink bleeds through and you can't finish reading the article on the back side.) Anyway, here he stands with this naked statue. When the inspector looked up and Barry just slapped his own head and said and said "Mafi Muuk" or "No Brain". The inspector agreed but being very tolerant for such an inspector they were able to compromise by putting a diaper on the statue and he was able to keep it.

[firefighter ontheside]

I know nothing of Italy, except that Italians live there.  I've been planning a trip to Croatia for several years and we are going there in May.  My great grandparents came from Croatia just before WW1.  John had to one up me and go to Croatia first.  We are flying into Dubrovnik and I would recommend getting there at some point.  We will then be making our way north and our next destination is the coast town of Split.  It is known for being a very beautiful city and for having many Roman ruins, including Emperor Diocletian's palace.  We will go to see the Plitvice Lakes national park which has an amazing series of cascading falls and lakes.  We will then go to Opatija, which is on the west side of the Istrian peninsula and very near to Italy.  In fact, Istria was part of Italy between WW1 and WW2.  The area is known for wine and truffles.  Finally, we will spend several days around the capital city of Zagreb.  We are planning to take in a soccer game of the Dinamo Zagreb pro team.  Good tickets are apparently cheap.  Good luck with your trip John and i'm looking forward to seeing your pictures.

[Ljohnsaw]

Starting the first leg. On Alaska Air and T-Mobile gives me free internet. Left on time and flight duration is almost an hour less that scheduled. So my layover at JFK will be that much longer!

The Sierras are all white as far as you can see.

[ppine]

Florence is a great city, the focal point of the Renaissance.   I really enjoyed Venice and Sienna.  The small old towns in the wine growing regions are fun but repetitious after awhile.   I liked Milan the design center, a modern city by Italian standards.  Cinque Terra on the Ligurian Sea was my favorite place to visit.  Five small ancient towns perched on the cliffs of the ocean. 

I loved the people, the food, the wine and the way of living.  Even bad Spanish goes a long way in Italy.  The place has been civilized for 2,000 years and they have eaten all of the wildlife.  The main ecosystem is feral cats and rock pigeons. 

I am done with Europe, because everything I like is in North America. 

[Ljohnsaw]

My T-Mobile plan gave me free internet on Alaska Airlines from SFO to JFK. So I had a lot of good reading on the FF. Got a single cookie as the only meal on the 5.5 hour flight. Two hour layover grew to 3.5 but the Condor flight had both dinner and breakfast on the 7.5 hour flight.

Saw this in the Frankfurt airport. I could make something like that 🙂


 
And a German version of a McD's Play Place. All stainless.


With the flight delay, I didn't get to leave the airport. Plus, nothing opens till 10am and my flight leaves at 12:20. Oh well.

Edit: Forgot to mention, a bit of rough air over the Atlantic. Was like being at Disneyland riding Star Tours or Thunder Mountain! Extra entertainment at no additional charge! 😀 But didn't get any sleep.

[Riwaka]

My cousin was in Italy a few years ago, they thought their best meal was at a Japanese restaurant in Viareggio.
Guess you know the drill of not taking bags/ day packs into the important places and if two of you one has to stay outside with the bags etc.

When traveling the main thing is to keep your eyes open to opportunities as they can present themselves.

A friend saw (when traveling) that one of his favorite old obscure musicians was doing a rare live concert in London and changed travel plans to go to the concert. (no ticket shortage, fortunately)

There is the "Forst Live" expo in Germany (live demonstrations of forest etc equipment)Offenburg?, South West of Stuttgart. 31st May to 2nd April, 2023. 

[WV Sawmiller]

John,

   Keep us posted. The McD in Frankfurt reminded me of the one they had in Kristiansand Norway when I worked there. It was in an old bank and the kids playroom was in the old vault with heavy steel doors and walls and such.

[firefighter ontheside]

Sorry you didn't get to visit Frankfurt.  I sure hope that doesn't happen to us as I'm excited about the layover in Frankfurt.  Ours is supposed to be longer than yours was, so maybe even if delayed we can still see something.  I'll be happy to get somewhere to enjoy a German beer and speak some German.  I took German in highschool and college, but have never needed to use it.  I also hope I can remember it.  That was 27 years ago.  

[beenthere]

Just remember "zwei grosse bier" when entering a beer bar. The only German I knew when travelling Europe in '79. Three weeks, rental car, and no reservations for any night stays. Travelling with my wife and stayed off all the "freeways" or autobahns. Nothing but countryside roads and back roads. Month of May was perfect for us. Germany, Austria, back into Germany, Switzerland, back into Germany and then France. 

[Ljohnsaw]

Went to St. Miniato a Monte church with my son and his art class. On the trek up the hill, you first get a glimpse of the old city wall.


 
Then a stop at Piazzale Michelangelo with a pretty good view of Florence.

 

 
 

 
Further up the climb, you get to the church. A little bit of timber work.


 

 

 
All around the church is a graveyard with various family tombs.


 

 

 
On the walk back crossing one of the many bridges over the river Arno, a picture of the Ponte Vecchio (the gold bridge) that the Medici family built.

[Don P]

Beautiful! I see Brunelleschi's Dome, Santa Maria del Fiore in the background. At the time the largest dome in the world, and built without centering formwork. I believe they have tours up through the dome. At I think about 400' up it was too narrow for the masons to work inside anymore, they had to crawl out a window and complete the work with their buns in the breeze. IIRC true perspective in artwork was "invented" in that square looking out the front door.

[firefighter ontheside]

Great pics.

[Don P]

The church you were in, San Miniato al Monte is a Roman basilica of the same basic type as the Pantheon portico we were talking about last week. This is about 800 years newer but the same basic engineering. I see wrought iron fixings in those, if original that roof is about a thousand years old, cool!

This was an interesting read on it and what evolved from it;
San Miniato al Monte | church, Florence, Italy | Britannica

[jasonb]

I only need to be back by the time the snow melts at my cabin build.  Probably the 4th of July

Be advised that per the Schengen agreement, you can only stay 90 out of the next 180 days from the time you clear immigration.

Venice is one of my favorite places on Earth.  

Have a nice trip.

[Ljohnsaw]

I only need to be back by the time the snow melts at my cabin build.  Probably the 4th of July

Be advised that per the Schengen agreement, you can only stay 90 out of the next 180 days from the time you clear immigration.

Venice is one of my favorite places on Earth.  

Have a nice trip.

I know. I don't have the funds to stay that long anyway!

[Ljohnsaw]

Thursday I went to one of the Leonardo da Vinci museums. It had a lot of models and hands on stuff. Spent nearly 2 hours there. Stuff made from wood!



A working model of a sash sawmill.  


Ball bearings like we use today.  

 
Trip hammer.

  
Ornithopter. Had a great animation of how it was supposed to work.


Way before it was "invented". This drawing was found in one of his many books of drawing on a folded and stuck together page during a restoration process a short time ago.  

Drove to Genova Thursday afternoon. TONS of tunnels on the drive over.
A view from the Genova lighthouse.

 
Turnbuckles holding the lighthouse together.


The lighthouse.  


My next toy. A lift that rotates!  

Took a quick hop to Pegli by train. Easier than trying to find a place to park.
We went to Disneyland!

 
Back to wood. Looks like a petrified tree in a rock used in a break water at the Pegli harbor.