Padua - Day 03

We woke to bright sunshine in Verona and soon began to realize that notwithstanding the rainy start to our visit Italy was now in the middle of a heat wave.

We packed up our belongings in preparation for a move to Padua. Although Verona was lovely we had managed to see most of the important sights in one day. There were several museums we could have visited and I would have loved to spend a night at the Arena but most of the experience of Verona is walking through the Old City soaking up the atmosphere and admiring the historical beauty of the buildings.

This hotel didn't included breakfast and considering the small amounts of food our children choose to nibble in the morning we decided not to pay extra. We threw our bags in the back of the car and I got out the directions to Padua.

The children decided it was time to name the Insignia so after some discussion we settled for Siman Tov! (It means Good Omen in Hebrew)

Padua was a few miles down the autostrada and although the instructions tried to send me in the wrong direction as we left the autostrada I soon figured it out.

Padua has all its streets clearly marked which made it easier to find the hotel though squeezing Siman Tov through the narrow streets tested Eyal's driving skills.

Our hotel was situated right in the centre of town. A stone's throw from St Anthony's Basilica and within easy walking distance of all the sights. This also meant there was no parking but the very friendly gentleman at the reception gave us a map and excellent directions to all the possible parking places. When he mentioned the parking at Rabin Square we knew that was the place for us!

Because Padua is well organised for tourists they have something called the PaduaCard which gives you free entrance to various sights, free travel on public transport and free parking in Rabin square. There was a small tourist kiosk near us but they only accepted cash and anyway by the time I got back to them they were closed.

So with the help of our handy tourist map I navigated us through the narrow, and frequently one-way, streets of Padua until we got close to the main tourist office which was in the middle of the main pedestrian area.

We parked in Rabin Square and walked back to our hotel through the magnificent Palle.

In the centre of the piazza was a beautiful garden with gravel walkways between the tree dotted lawns leading to a fountain which was both attractive and pleasantly cooling. Many people lounged on the ground under the trees while a few children splashed in the fountain.

Around the square were some gorgeous buildings and in the corner the sophia.

We found an unoccupied piece of lawn in the shade of a tree and sat to rest a little.

I flicked through the small guide book they gave us with the Paduacard listing all the sights available and giving a little information on each. A quick glance and I soon realised that there was miles too much to see in one day.

Verona - Day 02

The trip to Verona was one of the longest legs on our journey. The autostrada took us back past Milano with lots of lorries and heavy vehicles. Even so the traffic was fast moving with no jams and Eyal appreciated the fact that Italians drive well.

Unlike Israelis who are always too busy talking on the mobile, playing with the radio or taking charge of their children Italians actually seem to enjoy driving and give it their undivided attention. Eyal did come to the conclusion that Swiss drivers are insane as the only two cars we saw weaving through traffic lanes and over-taking dangerously had Swiss number plates!

I got used to navigating in Italy where every road seems to have several different numbers and the direction given is rarely the one you think you need.

We zipped along quite quickly as the speed limit is considerably higher than in Israel. Even so with such a powerful engine the car hardly felt it and Eyal kept complaining that if I didn't let him drive faster he would never have a reason to use sixth gear!!

In about 3 hours we got to Verona and trundled through the wide boulevards of the new town. Soon we were lost and drove ourselves round and round in circles. Eyal compared it to Guildford and in fact the chaos is a result of a similar system.

In both Verona and Guildford the do their best to keep you out of the town centre and on the large, fast bypass. However in both towns they seem to forget that you might want to visit the periphery and instead they are constantly directing you away from the town itself and to other locations.

When we left it was incredibly simple to find our way back onto the autostrada but getting into the new part of Verona involved turning off the bypass onto a small road that looked like a dead end. To make it worse the route planner kept giving the name of the streets we needed to take but at the junctions between the bypass and the town no street names were marked.

Having circled the bypass a couple of times I just told Eyal to turn down a side street. Soon we found ourselves in modern Verona with wide streets, signposts and a couple of helpful citizens who sent us in the right direction.

Somehow booking online I had managed to choose the Hotel Montressor which was much posher than the other hotels I booked. There was an impressive marble lobby and they sent a bell hop to collect our luggage from the car (that was a totally new experience for me!) Again we had a quadruple room which was spacious and elegantly decorated.

But the best was the bathroom with a double sized jacuzzi. Before we had even unpacked we grabbed our swimsuits and had a family jacuzzi!

During the day and as we travelled across country the weather had changed from cool and stormy to hot and humid. By the time we arrived in Verona the temperature was in the low 30C.

Due to the heat no one had been particularly hungry so we'd skipped lunch but by 5pm my son was starving and the rest of us agree that a meal sounded like a good idea.

We popped down to the charming and extremely helpful concierge. He gave us a tourist map and directions for walking to the old city. He warned us where not to eat (tourist traps) and recommended a good restaurant serving fresh pasta. He also recommend a shopping area 'for the ladies' a suggestion that caused me to smile and my husband to wince!!

The moment we stepped out the door we realised the temperature had risen to the mid-30C. It was still sunny and Verona seemed lacking in breezes. Fortunately this is not a totally unknown situation for Israelis so although the heat and humidity was oppressive we had supplies of water and wet wipes and nobody collapsed of heat-stroke.

Once we crossed through the walls into the old city we passed San Zeno

This is not the actual façade. San Zeno was being repaired and the canvas hung to hide the scaffolding was painted to exactly duplicate the façade!

Then zigzagged along the narrow streets until we came to the river and we walked alongside the river towards the Castelvecchio gazing at the Scaligero Bridge. The traffic was enough for me to reject my idea for walking across the bridge.

Scaligero Bridge

Instead we turned down Via Roma until it opened into the majestic Piazza Bra.

Victor Emanuelle II

On one side the beautiful people were eating at the fashionable cafés and in the centre was a delightful fountain that considerable cooled the temperature.

Most impressive of all was the Arena – the Roman Amphitheatre. All the posters for the summer opera season made me wish I also had tickets.

After taking our bearings for a few minutes and behaving like total tourists we headed towards the shopping street.

Via Mazzini

Despite the fact that it looked so crowded it was quite pleasant to stroll along the street window shopping. Not all the clothes were designer labels and despite friends' declarations that Italy is 'terribly' expensive' not all items were beyond our pocket especially as it was sale time.

And walking the streets of Old Verona is like walking through a museum with beautiful old houses and delightful Juliette balconies on every side.

As we were beginning to get thirsty we came to a drinking fountain which was both pretty and refreshing and a few minutes later I glanced down a side street and spied Greppia - the restaurant the conceirge had recommended. He claimed it was the only restaurant in Verona that served freshly made pasta.

Despite the overpowering heat and humidity most people were sitting outside but we opted for air-conditioning and sat with the locals inside the restaurant.

The pasta was delicious, so delicious in fact that Eyal ordered a second helping and even the friendly waiter smiled at how quickly he devoured it. I decided to try the pasta with truffles as I had never had truffles before. Can't say I was really impressed by the truffles but the pasta with olive oil and Parmesan was still excellent.

Because it was a Friday night we order a half bottle of wine and turned our meal into a small celebration. And while the children oohed appreciatively over the chocolate mousse I enjoyed pannacotta for the first time.

The restaurant was supposed to be opposite Juliette's House but it didn't catch our eye however after the meal we strolled along to the Piazza Erbe which had wonderful statues and beautiful frescoes decorating the buildings.

Even though it was quite late it was still ridiculously warm and it seemed to be getting warmer so we retreated to our air-conditioned hotel room and collasped into sleep in preparation for the next day.

Lago Maggiore - Day 02

Our short nap lasted until the next morning. Thunder woke me at midnight and I was hungry enough to consider going out in search of food but the pounding rain make me reconsider.
The thunder and rain woke us several times in the night and finally at 6am Israel time (5am Italy) I gave in to my biological clock and played with the computer. Thank goodness for hotels with free wi-fi.

6:30 am Italy time I woke the rest of the family and we went down to breakfast. Now The Israeli Hotel Breakfast is a thing of legend – it has to be experienced to be believed – and I had warned my family that a continental breakfast would be quite different. We were pleasantly surprised. No salad or salt fish but plenty of bread in all different forms, cheese, fruit, cereal, yoghurt and naturally - coffee and juice.



After breakfast we returned to the lovely park by the lake. It seemed to be a dog-walking park and strolled along path enjoying the lake views and refreshing weather. Eyal tried out a few different techniques with his new camera and cooed over some cars in the car park.

A bridge over a small stream

Back in the car we drove towards Arona and without the pouring rain our driver was able to appreciate the beautiful views.

Eyal was too busy driving in Arona to snap a picture of the old city so I found one on the internet

I remembered climbing the San Carlo Statue when I was a child so I took them up the mountain side in that direction. My children, unlike me, are not great climbers or even enthusiastic visitors of monuments so we took a quick glance at the statue and drove on.

Another internet image because our driver/photographer likes to have at least one hand on the steering wheel.

The countryside was enchanting and the views of the lake breaking-taking. My children declared it was the most beautiful road they had ever travelled.

Lakeside Villa

On our return to the hotel we stopped at a super market to stock up on snacks and drinks for the journey. It always interests me to see the similarities and differences between supermarkets the world over.

After check-out we toured round to the other side of the lake: Angera, another location evoking childhood memories, and Ranco where my mother lived for a few years before I was born.

Angera Castle

I had hoped to show them Lago Monate where I learned to swim but all roads seemed to be pointing us in the direction of Milano and the autostrada so I didn't resist.

Italy at Last! - Day 01

We got off the plane and although it was quite cloudy it was still hot.

Border control was a breeze - the man gave us a quick glance and stamped our passports none of the 'What is the purpose of your visit?' 'And where will you be staying?' that we get when we travel to England.

The luggage came through quickly and then it was off to get our car. We found the Maggiore stand easily and we handed over our papers. There was an exchange of words behind the counter. 'Sorry, we don't have any car left in the Nissan Qashqai class but we have a Opel Insignia diesel station wagon to offer you.'

I was worried Eyal might faint with joy. The clerk heard his gasp and said 'We can get you a Qashqai if you really want it?'. Eyal managed to squeak out 'No, no the Insignia will be fine.'

We trundled into the car park and were directed to our vehicle - the sleek, dark grey beast with a boot so large it swallowed up our luggage as if it was a light snack. Naturally there was acres of room inside and fabulously comfy seats. Eyal checked out all the buttons and discovered the gear positions (yes it was a manual).

As soon as the key was in the ignition the proximity sensors started beeping excitedly. They seem a bit a of a nag especially as Eyal always has a good natural sense of a car's perimeters. But in fact the Insignia is so large it is not easy navigating through narrow Italian streets that are much better suited to the ubiquitous Fiat 600 and once you make use of the sensory beeps, rather than trying to ignore them, they become much less annoying.

With route plans downloaded from the internet I navigated us out of the airport and in the direction of Lago Maggiore. We made our way on to the autostrada and were careful to pay the toll.

This area of Italy is not unfamiliar to me as I visited so many times as a child but although many of the place names evoke childhood memories I don't know the area anywhere near well enough to navigate by memory. At some point as we were nearing the lake there was a fork in the road and the signposts matched neither the direction nor the road numbers given in the internet directions. I soon came to learn that Vergiate was a useful direction to head in but at this point the name meant nothing to me.

We ended up driving through Varese. Not a disaster as I had intended to visit Varese but the wrong side of the lake for the hotel we had booked. I knew I needed to head in the direction of Arona but the signposts were either for Luino and Switzerland(!!!) or back to autostrada for Milan.

We asked some locals for directions. When I mentioned Arona the first lady uttered a swear word that I recognised from my limited Italian vocabulary. So obviously it was not a direct route!

They nodded when I asked if they spoke English and then proceeded to give me directions in Italian, thankfully I understand the words for left, right and straight ahead. They also kept saying a word that sound like 'afor' (grey in Hebrew) but I quickly grasped it was 'semafora' – traffic lights.

After a second stop a garage owner confirmed, by accompanying his words with expressive hand movements, that I was going in the right direction. It was a pleasant welcome to the area that there was no apathetic shrugging of the shoulders and a muttered 'I don't speak English' - despite my obvious tourist status and lack of Italian people were kind enough to take the time to explain slowly and repeat themselves to ensure I had understood.

A few minutes later, after heading straight for the autostrada as directed. I began to see signposts for Sesto Calende and then finally Arona. I even saw a sign for Angera and stored that information for the next day.

We drove straight along the road to Arona. I knew we were on the lakeside but we couldn't actually see it. Soon we were in Dormeletto and there was our Hotel on the left. Hotel Le Palme. It was a little posher than I expected and I felt quite proud of internet booking. With a mix of Italian and English we communicated with reception received the keys for our room – 301.

I had chosen a family rooms with 4 beds as it was more economical than two doubles and I hate it when the children are running in and out of the room every time they want to communicate with us.

Our hotel room

The room was very spacious and nicely decorated with a large bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe. The children, and even Eyal, were bemused by the bidet and giggled when explained its use!

The room was in the back of the hotel so even though we were next to the main road it was quiet and peaceful. Occasionally a train whooshed past but that didn't disturb us.

The view from the window was of the lush greenery of the surrounding hills. Dark clouds were settling in and forgetting that in Europe the sun sets so late we were given the illusion that it was evening.

Elad was starving because we had not eaten lunch and as it was too early for restaurants to open we decided to take a look around, to try to 'find' the lake and maybe somewhere to snack.

But it was only late afternoon and the dark skies were not due to the onset of evening but rather to storm clouds. A moment after we stepped outside a fat raindrop sploshed down followed by several more. We quickly abandoned our intention to take a walk and ran for the car.

The dullness of the skies left us with an even stronger impression of just how green the surrounding area was. Although the buildings on the roadside were either residential, commercial or light industrial there was dark green every where.

The view from our hotel window

We soon saw a turning right that seemed to lead to the lake and after few metres we found ourselves is a lovely lakeside park. We wanted to get out and walk but the rain was too strong especially as we were all in summer clothing.

We returned to the car and as we drove into Arona we spied a cafי/bar with free parking next door.

The girl at the bar spoke English and we ordered some sandwiches with a small glass of Italian beer.

Elad and I decided to try the chicken and added some mushrooms. The girl asked “Would you like some cheese with that?” We smiled and refused. Then Eyal and Odelia ordered mozzarella and tomato sandwiches. 'Are you sure you wouldn't like some prosciutto too?'

It became a reoccurring theme – it seems almost impossible to find a plain cheese sandwich here. Everywhere we looked the cheese was paired with ham or a similar slice of cured pork. We don't keep kosher strictly enough to spend our holiday eating salad and tinned Israeli tuna but a cheese and ham sandwich is just a step too far!!

prosciutto

Another holiday theme became apparent when we went to pay and discovered that they didn't take credit cards. Luckily we had all ready changed some money

While we enjoying our delicious snack the the wind outside was whipping up a storm. It was definitely not walking weather. We piled back into the car and I pointed Eyal in the direction of Stresa. As Eyal navigated along the promenade and the twisty, cobbled streets of the old town of Arona we had beautiful views of the lake and admired the old buildings. Then we were on the lake road with gorgeous mansions and villas on the left side and a view across the lake to Angera Castle.

However within a few minutes it started to rain. The rain fell harder and harder until we had to stop. Not only did low visibility make it difficult to drive the narrow twisty lake road but there is not much point sight-seeing when all you can see are the lights on the dashboard of your hire car. We parked for a few minutes in the hope the rain cloud would blow over but when the thunder began rumbling overhead we turned back to the hotel.

We decided to have a short nap to catch up on our sleep and then find ourselves some supper at a local restaurant.

The Journey (to Italy)

Fools that we are we worked the day before our trip. I came home at the usual our and Eyal a little early so he could pick me up from the train.

We spent the evening tidying up the house so we would have a pleasant welcome home and also doing the final bits of packing and preparation for the trip.

At one point I just had to lie down and when I got up I was so tired so we decided we must have at least an hour's nap before the taxi arrived. At last there was no more to do and we laid down to rest - I was worried the alarm wouldn't wake us but we didn't really sleep that deeply.

The taxi arrived on time and we piled all our luggage into the back. We got to the train in plenty of time and sat on the platform with a few other groups of people all trailing suitcases, obviously going in the direction of Ben Gurion airport. The train arrive more or less on time and we settled into the air0conditioned carriage. After a few snacks we all gradually dropped off to sleep except my daughter who was so wired on adrenalin she gazed wide-eyed out the window.

Even though we had arrived more than 3.5 hours before our flight the El-Al counters were already open and churning through travellers.

The security line went quite quickly but for some reason the lady gave me quite a grilling – 'When did I make aliyah?', 'What was my Hebrew like when I came here?', 'Where did I live before moving to Israel?', 'Was I part of the Jewish Community there?', 'Did I study Hebrew.'. Then she asked the rest of the family the usual questions about packing the luggage and that was it. It was probably random but people keep remarking on my passport photo (it is quite new but I was more chubby-faced and my hair is now cut differently and dyed darker.) so I may have to renew it.

The check-in counter seemed to take forever but I knew we had packed light. In fact the case and bag for Eyal and me together weighed as much as I normally take alone.

And then we were in the Duty-Free!!!!

Normally Duty-Free isn't a big deal for me – there's a limit to how much alcohol you can get through customs and most of the perfume is out of my price range. Apart from that make-up, electronics and designer clothes just don't interest me.

This time we had decided to treat ourselves to our favourite brandy and I needed presents that I hadn't had time to buy before.

Then I went to the perfumerie to price check – My favourite was even cheaper than the half price offers in Israeli shops and I also discovered Amour Tentacion – not only is it purple but it smells fantastic too. Instead of choosing one I got both!!

When we got to the check-out there was a 'Family Deal' and they gave us a $100 gift card so we went back in to spend that!

But our first stop was at the electronics – I had promised Eyal a digital SLR camera for his birthday. They had the exact model he wanted and with only a little encouragement he handed over his credit card!After all that we were shopped-out and just in time for boarding call.

The gate had already open but we had plenty of time. They lovely people from Eyal were friendly and efficient but I was so surprised when one of the welcoming party wished me 'Good Morning' – It felt like at least half a day had past although it was only 7:30am.

Although we were in plenty of time the plane was mostly full by the time we board. But in fact we needn't have rushed - we had much more time than we expected. Due to a technical fault we missed our slot and take-off was nearly and hour and a half late. Eyal and I used this time to snooze as did our son who had also rested for about an hour on the train but our daughter was too excited to rest.

They were seated a couple of rows in front of us next to a nice gentleman who reassured my daughter when the suddenly turbulence and the lighting of the seat belt signs caused her some concern. I was proud of them sitting so quietly and self-sufficient while other children around us were constantly getting up and making demands of the cabin crew.

The cabin crew were excellent. All cabin crew are polite and pleasant but any route from Israel is not easy – there are always lots of noisy children and Israelis get up and walk around all the time – by the end of the flight the smiles become a little strained and the crew seem weary.

With El-Al the cabin crew are all Israelis – they are used to the national culture, are slightly less formal and in addition to the pleasant demeanour and friendly smiles they have a good sense of humour.

And of course with El-Al the food is always good. Firstly the food is kosher. We don't keep strict kosher but my mother has been served a cheese and ham snacks on certain flights!!! Secondly it takes into account Israeli taste.

On this flight we were served breakfast. My husband choose the omelette which looked freshly-made and tasted delicious. Rather different from the grey, rubbery offerring that passed for egg on our previous trip.

I had the salad, which was a sizeable portion, with vinaigrette and a nutty/seed topping. There was also a darling little roll for the cheese spread seasoned with olive paste. To finish there was bio yoghurt with honey and granola to add (How did they know I have recently been positively obsessed with yoghurt and granola?)

And later on to differentiate from the tea, coffee and water the cabin crew came round with ice lollies – very refreshing!

It was a relatively small plane. Eyal looked at the model number on the information card and remarked that not only had his factory made the blades in the engine but that his department was responsible for the quality control. I assume it was meant to be reassuring.

Being small plane we didn't have screens on the seat backs but as the film was 'Wimpy Kid 2' I was more than happy to finish reading my book. Eyal alternated between snoozing and gazing at the subtitles with a slightly bemused look on his face.

We also had a beautiful view out the window but as there was no flight map included in the information pack we had no idea where we were.

After about 4 hours we landed in a rather cloudy Italy.

The Preparations (for the trip)

Our flight to Italy was at 7:40 am. With at least 3 hours for security we needed to get there by 4:30am. Eyal decided that he didn't fancy leaving the car in the long stay car park so we would take the train that goes directly to Ben Gurion airport – the 2am train would get us there by 4am.

And then of course we needed a taxi to get us to the train station – my father would have given us a lift but there was no way the four of us and our luggage would fit in my parents' car.

But of course before setting off there were the preparations. First of all packing. My children each have their own wheeled suitcases provided by my parents. Although Odelia's case is relatively small she is slender and wears quite skimpy clothes as do most teenagers these days so she didn't have too much trouble fitting in what she needed.

My son would wear the same set of clothing every day if I let him so I directed his sister to oversee his packing and to ensure his sartorial elegance.

His shoes were more of a problem. When he started middle school where my daughter was already studying, she declared that boys in middle school don't wear sandals.

I have no problem with my son wearing sports' shoes but my son only wears one pair of shoes at a time – if you buy him a new pair the previous pair then lay untouched even if they are still in good condition.

This combined with the fact that my son's feet and grown from a 38 to a 43 in the last 9 months meant my son only had one pair of shoes and despite only being 6 weeks old they weren't looking too hot.

We hadn't the time and Elad hadn't the inclination for shoe shopping so we just prayed they would stand up to the rigours of a vacation.

Then we also realised the disadvantage of the latest fashion for canvas shoes – my daughter has several pairs but most were disintegrating rapidly after a couple of months of school wear. That left her with one decent pair of canvas shoes and a semi-decent pair of sandals.

This problem was sort of solved by my own sandals collapsing on the way home from work. I had to quickly buy a cheap pair on sale. Odelia and I are the same size so although the new sandals are really not sturdy enough for walking at least she now has some pretty foot wear for the evenings.

The problem for us adults was the suitcases. My large suitcase, the one I had used since I was 17, finally collapsed last trip when the zipper gave out. We have a couple of bags but nothing really big enough.

My parents are planning to buy new, smaller cases and give us the big ones so there is no reason for us to buy more but they still need their suitcases this summer. Eventually we borrowed an extra large suitcase from my in-laws.

Finally after hearing horror stories of lost luggage I decided everyone needed a carry-on containing both necessities for the journey and a spare set of clothing. Backpacks was the answer for the children but they only had the bags they use for school. Another quick trip to the office supplies store and this problem was solved. With the amount of trips they take at school these backpacks will be of great use and I really can't think why I didn't get them before.

Of course all this packing involved the washing clothes and the tidying of cupboards and because it seems I just wasn't busy enough I decided it was a good time for more housecleaning. I made both of the children clean out their rooms and remove old unused clothes, trinkets or toys. We filled two bags full of clothes, mainly from my daughter and another 3 with toys, mostly from my son who remarked 'I have the computer what do I need toys for?'.

I also decided I desperately need some elastic and convinced I had some stashed somewhere I sorted through all my yarn and fabric. My hobby corner is now a lot tidier although I didn't find the elastic.

And naturally because life is just like that the weeks before the trip were some of the busiest we've seen. Not only were there the trip preparations but in addition to our usual commitments we also made several unexpected visits to friends. At Eyal's work they decided to combine the usual end of month chaos with a stock take so he had to work an 18 hour day and my work decided we needed a department meal to solidify 'team spirit' before we all went on holiday!!

The Trip

Last time we went to England I promised Eyal that next time we went abroad it wouldn't be England.

Italy is a country Eyal has always wanted to visit. I loved my visits there as a child and with Eyal's love of Italian cars and everyone's appreciation of pasta and pizza Italy seemed a good choice.

Then on Facebook I reconnected with a school friend living in Italy and she invited us to visit. Italy became a firm destination.

But when? I was still looking for work and our financial situation was such that holidays were out of the question.

And then to complicate matters even further it seemed my old school was closing down and someone started to plan a final reunion in the middle of July.

If I was going to keep my promise to Eyal and make it to the reunion I needing to get planning and fast!

First thing I need to find a job. I was lucky to find one quickly and not only was it interesting but also the pay was decent so a summer vacation to foreign climes actually become a financial possibility. Now I just had to sort the logistics.

After much thought, email and consulting with the internet we decided to travel through Italy for a few days on the way to visit my friend. Stay a few days with the friend and then fly to England.

We did consider leaving the children with my parents in England but my daughter was disappointed not to see where I had gone to school and honestly you go to a reunion to show-off your achievements in life and my children are definitely something for me to be proud of.

So that was it – plans made, flights booked, hotel reservations made and cars hired. We are going on a family holiday to Italy!!