Roaming Italy with my pup...2013
I decided to take Coco with me to Europe 2013. What an advenure it was. In Europe, she was on planes, trains, automobiles, ferry's, subways, and busses (literally). She also accompanied us on many trips throughout Lombardi (Piedmont), Naples, and Sicily. Lastly she joined us on many restaurant trips, appertivos (happy hours) and the whole enchilada! Looking back, I don't think any dog has gotten to travel and adventure as much as my lil' pup...
I truly Before even going, I had to go through a whole process of getting her qualified as an emotional support dog. One good thing about Italy is that it is a VERY dog friendly country and dogs do not need to be quarantined to enter (unlike places like Hawaii).
For those that want to take their dogs on the plane, you can read about that undergoing here:
http://rajalo.blogspot.com/2014/01/getting-coco-to-europe-emotional.html
The flight to Europe
An unforgettable experience. Never did I think I could get my dog in the business class cabin with me. Low and behold , after getting all approvals, she got on the plane with me. And was I prepared! I took pee bags, anti anxiety medication, benedryl, and plenty of food. I even planned to have the security agents escort me through customs asap when I landed in Germany so she could do her duty outside the airport asap. Afterall, who knows how long a dog can hold it without going to the bathroom. In this case, even though I tried to have her go pee in the cabin bathroom, she didn't. So it was anyones' guess when she would go wee-week. Lucky for me, she actually held it for the entire 10 hour flight and as soon as we got to the green grass outside the German airport, she went.... The whole airplane experience which had given me a lot of anxiety, turned out to go PERFECTLY!
First the entire map of Italy:
Map from PlanetWare.com
And then our journey (marked in pegs):
A picture board of my entire journey:
https://www.icloud.com/iphoto/projects/#3;CAEQARoQJH02oO-mOIz3rBkLYmt_Yw;5A7523F0-E4E5-41C0-993A-6F1BB8F6C465
Milan (Lombardia) - The Home Base
Most of the days were spent in Sarah's pad in the historic center of the city (zone 1). Lucky for me, I was working from home and so was able to be around my pup in her apartment. In the beginning, as with any new place, I had to get accustomed to everything. The food was different, the scene was different, everything. Definitely to my astonishment, Italy is truly DOG friendly. Everyone takes their dogs to bars (Aperitif) and restaurants, and you see waggy tails just about everywhere.
About a mile from her pad was the infamous Parco Sempione (Simplone Park), a beautiful park filled with lots of sights. That is where I played with Coco quite a bit. The amazing thing about this park, it isn't your ordinary US park. This park had amazing historical structures such as the Arch Of Peace, beautiful fountains the majestic roman walls of Milan, and even a castle (Sforza castle)! It also houses art expos (Palazzo dell' Arte).
Coco had a field day at this castle! There were always cats nestled on the castle grounds, and in Coco's usual fashion, she had barking frenzy whenever she saw them - it was a daily routine. Sometimes I got nervous as she used to stand on a ledge which had a steep drop to the bottom. I wish I had a picture of this, but at least you can see some shots of the park, usually an every morning outing for me.
"ParcoSempioneMilano" by Luca Volpi - originally posted to Flickr as Sono più forte, papà!. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ParcoSempioneMilano.jpg#/media/File:ParcoSempioneMilano.jpg
The funniest learning experience (for both of us) was the bathroom situation. As with most cities, there was little grass on our neighboorhood, and mainly just cobblestone streets. At first, I was wondering where Coco would relieve herself, but then I noticed other dog owners using the streets for that! So the question came down to how to train my little dog! Voia! Out of the blue, it just seemed like second nature to her. She knew the streets (pavements) were OK to do it, so there was no training necessary. Thinking about this some more, it is clear to me that dogs use their sense of smell to determine right from wrong, so since other dogs left spots, my dog quickly figured it out!
Duomo De Milano
The Grand Duomo, is the cathedral church of Milan Italy. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete , is the 5th largest church in the world and the second largest in Italy. It is in the historical center of town was quite amazing and the center of the city. Here are some breathtaking pictures I took at around sunset, which is definitely the best time to check out this majestic structure!
Piedmonte (Piemonte
As I sit here at a coffee shop in San Diego, years later, with my dog sleeping to my side, I can't help but turn on the computer to reminisce a bit about Piedmont Italy, a place with breathtaking hillside views, castles and a a lot of mystery. I remember our little Fiat, to a region that created so many nice memories...
Truffles!!! It all reminded of business school 101. I think learning about truffles made me realize how much of a simpleton I really am, a complete and total "non-foodie". Case in point, I had no clue what a truffle even was. For me , it was some type of European chocolate. Little did I know that this is a delicacy found in certain regions of Italy, one being deep in the forests of Alba. They grew under certain oak trees and dug up by a secret society of Truffle hunters. These hunters have the ultimate weapons, either their truffle sniffing dogs, or even their keenly aroused pigs...though recently, the fashion of using pigs to find truffles seems to be dying out given they eat all the truffles.
So it was, I experienced truffles by eventually ended up at a place at the end of the truffle supply chain- the truffle festival of Alba! There it is where the "truffle sniffers", human chef's with a keen sense, are able to 'sniff' and accordingly price the truffles. And boy are they NOT cheap. In fact, I was told that one 1 KG truffle was once recently sold at a Hong Kong auction for over $100K. Whoa! Talk about supply / demand! Apple, move over!
Aside from all this food stuff, I was taken aback by the hillside, the scenery and the smells of Piedmonte. And again, the simplicity I so possesses was proven once again. I never was much of a wine appreciator, despite most people I associate with,who live in spoiled So Cal. Even still, when I went to the small towns surrounding this region, I learned what "love of wine" really meant. I was taken aback by all of them, espeically the Barolo and Barbaresco wines, made of the Nebbiolo grape. It was love at first taste. In fact, the other day, when I went to my local Vons to buys a bottle and reminisce I was stunned by the cost--- $50+ per bottle! Whoa I thought..I guess I do have good taste! Aside from this though, everything about Piedmont was filled with beauty, the hillsides were breathtaking, the castles majestic, the small towns so serene, and of course, the wines, so flavorful...
But yet again, the experience wasn't over. Have you heard of an Agra-Turisimo? I sure haven't. And boy, was I fascinated! Imagine owning a farm, growing organic foods/ wines and then setting up a resort style get-away for tourists to visit! And that to, from a Mafioso type family---I so wanted to meet the owner and get his perspective on that life!What a pleasant surprise this part of the trip was. The food we tried was delicious, from the homemade wines, to they flavorful pastas, to the exquisite deserts-- a meal to definitely remember. And trust me, being vegetarian, its' not common for me to speak so highly of outside food--but this was delicious. To top that, the rustic, yet historical rooms we stayed in, created a unique charm which just added to the effect. Most of all, the experience at this farm, only re-ignited my desire to own my own farm one day, with my own animals, and producing my own fresh produce.
- Included on this trip was: Torino (Turin), Alba (Truffle festival), Agriturisimo, Barolo, Monforte, Madonna Di Como
Switzerland- Skiing in the Alps
A slight detour from my Italian adventure, I love bragging about weekend trips to Switzerland to ski the Alps!..What an adventure! I recall picking up a rental car in Italy and driving across the border to Switzerland! It was a beuatiful journey crossing the border. The Swiss Alps definately lived up to its standard. The only part of the journey that brings back a bitter memory is being pulled over by the border patrol. They seemed to want to cause drama for us, being that we were "American" citizens. In fact, we had to get written up, which I believe was one step away from getting a ticket...ugh! But other than that, beautiful drive, beautiful trip, great snow, awesome skiing at Verbier. Of course, Coco had fun too!
Some more details of this trip:
Verbier (ski resort)
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g198848-r4999195-Verbier_Valais_Swiss_Alps.html
And of course, some helpful trips if you decide to corss the border into Switzerland by car.:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g188045-s602/Switzerland:Crossing.The.Border.html
Siciliy
I remember after my first backpacking trip to Europe in 1996, I always wanted to visit Sicily. Finally, in 2013 I was able to make the trip. If there is one vivid memory I can take away from the trip, it was even more intense than Rome. The European hisorical monuments, structures, artifacts, ruins, churches and cahederals were everywhere. As we were exploring it was as if we were taken back into the past.
To start off the advenuture, we took a ferry from Naples (land of amazing Italian Pizza), we took the ferry and started our adventures in Palermo.
Here is some details of the trip from a friends blog.
Norman cathedrals in Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù
It seems as though most of the empires of ancient civilization were present in Sicily at some point in its history, and one of the marks of the Norman occupation are the beautiful
cathedrals with a strong Byzantine influence emphasized by incredible mosaic works in
their interiors. I saw three of which are the best examples, with massive golden mosaic
Christ Pantocrators in the central apse, surrounded by other extraordinarily detailed
scenes and figures.
The cathedral in Monreale, outside of Palermo, stands apart in terms of the vastness of its splendor. Built between 1174 and 1200, the upper two-thirds of the walls are covered in golden glass mosaics, interspersed with geometric decoration. But my favorite of the three
was the Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni which is now the regional Parliament Building for Sicily. It was like opening the lid of a treasure chest and
being dropped inside. Every surface sparkled with gold, and its more diminutive size, a result of being the personal chapel of a Norman king, made it feel both intimate and spectacular at the same time.
Ruins by the sea in Selinunte
While not as renowned, and considered inferior to the Vallei dei Templi in Agrigento, the temple ruins in Selinunte lie on the crests of rolling hills which meander down to the Mediterranean and were one of the highlights of my trip to Sicily. The reddish-gold stone of the remaining temples stands out against the lush greenness of the hillside dotted with patches of yellow and purple wild flowers, and the gradations of the clear blue of the sea in the distance lend a unparalleled sense of harmony. From the archeological park, there is a small access point to the beautiful sandy beach below. Although less culturally significant than other sites, Selinunte has a unique beauty and tranquility.
Mount Etna
As the tallest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna’s presence is seen and felt in eastern Sicily. Driving through the hilly region of the Nebrodi National Park, on roads full of switchbacks, Etna’s commanding presence towers over its surroundings. As much as I would have loved to have climbed up to see the lava flows, on the day I arrived at Rifugio Sapienza, the starting point for access to Etna’s south side, the volcano was erupting and the lifts and jeeps which take you to a 2500 meters elevation were shut down for the day. Nonetheless, it was a fascinating experience, with winds strong enough to pull you off the the sides of the trails, an ominous rumbling echoing from the depths of the volcano and thick grey, black and white smoke billowing from its mouth. The terrain just beyond the visitor’s center was unworldly: red and black rocky soil and deep craters interspersed with patches of snow. The few bold souls who attempted to hike higher soon retreated after the winds snatched away sunglasses and clothing and made the trek seem overly perilous.
Naples and the Amolfi Coast
Finally after our tour of Sicili commenced, I found myself on a ferry on route across the Meditarraneian back toward Naples. which was simply amazing. This part of the journey was solo with myself and CocoWe were on our way to the Amalfi Coast by bus. It is the strech of coastline on the southern coast oof the Sorrentine Peninsual in the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy. I have to say being in San Diego, I didn't have much expectation for sea-line beauty. All I have to say was that I was absolutely wrong about that, simple in awe of the breathtaking views. For this part of the blog I will let the pcitures do the talking. Some of these were taken from a long hike into the wild - with breathtaking views - it's laced with trails first carved in the Middle Ages and used by mules to transport goods between villages, the hills and mountains of the Amalfi. In particular, I took the Il Sentiero degli Dei, "A walk made in haeaven, with a panoramic footpth between Agerola and Positano, about a 3 hour walk.
Here are some great hikes: www.positano.com/en/trekking-and-walks
View From Our Hotel
The Lost City of Pompei
I truly Before even going, I had to go through a whole process of getting her qualified as an emotional support dog. One good thing about Italy is that it is a VERY dog friendly country and dogs do not need to be quarantined to enter (unlike places like Hawaii).
For those that want to take their dogs on the plane, you can read about that undergoing here:
http://rajalo.blogspot.com/2014/01/getting-coco-to-europe-emotional.html
The flight to Europe
An unforgettable experience. Never did I think I could get my dog in the business class cabin with me. Low and behold , after getting all approvals, she got on the plane with me. And was I prepared! I took pee bags, anti anxiety medication, benedryl, and plenty of food. I even planned to have the security agents escort me through customs asap when I landed in Germany so she could do her duty outside the airport asap. Afterall, who knows how long a dog can hold it without going to the bathroom. In this case, even though I tried to have her go pee in the cabin bathroom, she didn't. So it was anyones' guess when she would go wee-week. Lucky for me, she actually held it for the entire 10 hour flight and as soon as we got to the green grass outside the German airport, she went.... The whole airplane experience which had given me a lot of anxiety, turned out to go PERFECTLY!
First the entire map of Italy:
Map from PlanetWare.com
And then our journey (marked in pegs):
A picture board of my entire journey:
https://www.icloud.com/iphoto/projects/#3;CAEQARoQJH02oO-mOIz3rBkLYmt_Yw;5A7523F0-E4E5-41C0-993A-6F1BB8F6C465
Milan (Lombardia) - The Home Base
Most of the days were spent in Sarah's pad in the historic center of the city (zone 1). Lucky for me, I was working from home and so was able to be around my pup in her apartment. In the beginning, as with any new place, I had to get accustomed to everything. The food was different, the scene was different, everything. Definitely to my astonishment, Italy is truly DOG friendly. Everyone takes their dogs to bars (Aperitif) and restaurants, and you see waggy tails just about everywhere.
About a mile from her pad was the infamous Parco Sempione (Simplone Park), a beautiful park filled with lots of sights. That is where I played with Coco quite a bit. The amazing thing about this park, it isn't your ordinary US park. This park had amazing historical structures such as the Arch Of Peace, beautiful fountains the majestic roman walls of Milan, and even a castle (Sforza castle)! It also houses art expos (Palazzo dell' Arte).
Coco had a field day at this castle! There were always cats nestled on the castle grounds, and in Coco's usual fashion, she had barking frenzy whenever she saw them - it was a daily routine. Sometimes I got nervous as she used to stand on a ledge which had a steep drop to the bottom. I wish I had a picture of this, but at least you can see some shots of the park, usually an every morning outing for me.
The funniest learning experience (for both of us) was the bathroom situation. As with most cities, there was little grass on our neighboorhood, and mainly just cobblestone streets. At first, I was wondering where Coco would relieve herself, but then I noticed other dog owners using the streets for that! So the question came down to how to train my little dog! Voia! Out of the blue, it just seemed like second nature to her. She knew the streets (pavements) were OK to do it, so there was no training necessary. Thinking about this some more, it is clear to me that dogs use their sense of smell to determine right from wrong, so since other dogs left spots, my dog quickly figured it out!
The Grand Duomo, is the cathedral church of Milan Italy. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete , is the 5th largest church in the world and the second largest in Italy. It is in the historical center of town was quite amazing and the center of the city. Here are some breathtaking pictures I took at around sunset, which is definitely the best time to check out this majestic structure!
Piedmonte (Piemonte
As I sit here at a coffee shop in San Diego, years later, with my dog sleeping to my side, I can't help but turn on the computer to reminisce a bit about Piedmont Italy, a place with breathtaking hillside views, castles and a a lot of mystery. I remember our little Fiat, to a region that created so many nice memories...
Truffles!!! It all reminded of business school 101. I think learning about truffles made me realize how much of a simpleton I really am, a complete and total "non-foodie". Case in point, I had no clue what a truffle even was. For me , it was some type of European chocolate. Little did I know that this is a delicacy found in certain regions of Italy, one being deep in the forests of Alba. They grew under certain oak trees and dug up by a secret society of Truffle hunters. These hunters have the ultimate weapons, either their truffle sniffing dogs, or even their keenly aroused pigs...though recently, the fashion of using pigs to find truffles seems to be dying out given they eat all the truffles.
So it was, I experienced truffles by eventually ended up at a place at the end of the truffle supply chain- the truffle festival of Alba! There it is where the "truffle sniffers", human chef's with a keen sense, are able to 'sniff' and accordingly price the truffles. And boy are they NOT cheap. In fact, I was told that one 1 KG truffle was once recently sold at a Hong Kong auction for over $100K. Whoa! Talk about supply / demand! Apple, move over!
Aside from all this food stuff, I was taken aback by the hillside, the scenery and the smells of Piedmonte. And again, the simplicity I so possesses was proven once again. I never was much of a wine appreciator, despite most people I associate with,who live in spoiled So Cal. Even still, when I went to the small towns surrounding this region, I learned what "love of wine" really meant. I was taken aback by all of them, espeically the Barolo and Barbaresco wines, made of the Nebbiolo grape. It was love at first taste. In fact, the other day, when I went to my local Vons to buys a bottle and reminisce I was stunned by the cost--- $50+ per bottle! Whoa I thought..I guess I do have good taste! Aside from this though, everything about Piedmont was filled with beauty, the hillsides were breathtaking, the castles majestic, the small towns so serene, and of course, the wines, so flavorful...
But yet again, the experience wasn't over. Have you heard of an Agra-Turisimo? I sure haven't. And boy, was I fascinated! Imagine owning a farm, growing organic foods/ wines and then setting up a resort style get-away for tourists to visit! And that to, from a Mafioso type family---I so wanted to meet the owner and get his perspective on that life!What a pleasant surprise this part of the trip was. The food we tried was delicious, from the homemade wines, to they flavorful pastas, to the exquisite deserts-- a meal to definitely remember. And trust me, being vegetarian, its' not common for me to speak so highly of outside food--but this was delicious. To top that, the rustic, yet historical rooms we stayed in, created a unique charm which just added to the effect. Most of all, the experience at this farm, only re-ignited my desire to own my own farm one day, with my own animals, and producing my own fresh produce.
Last but not least...how nice is it when you meet someone local at the place you are visiting. Well, that is EXACTLY what transpired. See, back before I made my trip, I visited Isola, a nice Italian restaurant that just opened in Little Italy. Because I'm a talker (esp. when I've had a few drinks), the owner came to know that I was heading up to the Piedmont region of Italy. Next thing I knew, he was giving me the card and phone number of his bro, who happened to make wine and have his own vineyard, in the region So after calling him up on the phone from Turin, another nice city in Northern Italy, and his genuine welcoming email to visit him, we decided to take the drive, literally in the "boondoks". Boy what a beautiful and scenic drive that turned out to be. But honestly, the credit goes to an Iphone for getting us there. If it wasn't for that, we'd have never made it through the one lane dirt road , in the hills of Piedmonte, to Pietro Renaldi's home.
And what a treat that was to meet him! Not only did we get to go to a local vineyard in the middle of nowhere, but his hospitality only affirmed the positive stereotypes us Americans have of Italians, warm, welcoming, and stylish. We talked, drank and toured his facility.. Most importantly, we left Piedmonte with a beautiful taste in our mouth...
- Included on this trip was: Torino (Turin), Alba (Truffle festival), Agriturisimo, Barolo, Monforte, Madonna Di Como
Switzerland- Skiing in the Alps
A slight detour from my Italian adventure, I love bragging about weekend trips to Switzerland to ski the Alps!..What an adventure! I recall picking up a rental car in Italy and driving across the border to Switzerland! It was a beuatiful journey crossing the border. The Swiss Alps definately lived up to its standard. The only part of the journey that brings back a bitter memory is being pulled over by the border patrol. They seemed to want to cause drama for us, being that we were "American" citizens. In fact, we had to get written up, which I believe was one step away from getting a ticket...ugh! But other than that, beautiful drive, beautiful trip, great snow, awesome skiing at Verbier. Of course, Coco had fun too!
Some more details of this trip:
Verbier (ski resort)
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g198848-r4999195-Verbier_Valais_Swiss_Alps.html
And of course, some helpful trips if you decide to corss the border into Switzerland by car.:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g188045-s602/Switzerland:Crossing.The.Border.html
Siciliy
I remember after my first backpacking trip to Europe in 1996, I always wanted to visit Sicily. Finally, in 2013 I was able to make the trip. If there is one vivid memory I can take away from the trip, it was even more intense than Rome. The European hisorical monuments, structures, artifacts, ruins, churches and cahederals were everywhere. As we were exploring it was as if we were taken back into the past.
To start off the advenuture, we took a ferry from Naples (land of amazing Italian Pizza), we took the ferry and started our adventures in Palermo.
 |
| Sicilia! |
Here is some details of the trip from a friends blog.
Norman cathedrals in Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù
It seems as though most of the empires of ancient civilization were present in Sicily at some point in its history, and one of the marks of the Norman occupation are the beautiful
cathedrals with a strong Byzantine influence emphasized by incredible mosaic works in
their interiors. I saw three of which are the best examples, with massive golden mosaic
Christ Pantocrators in the central apse, surrounded by other extraordinarily detailed
scenes and figures.
 |
| Monreal Cathedral |
 |
| Cappella Palatina |
The cathedral in Monreale, outside of Palermo, stands apart in terms of the vastness of its splendor. Built between 1174 and 1200, the upper two-thirds of the walls are covered in golden glass mosaics, interspersed with geometric decoration. But my favorite of the three was the Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni which is now the regional Parliament Building for Sicily. It was like opening the lid of a treasure chest and
being dropped inside. Every surface sparkled with gold, and its more diminutive size, a result of being the personal chapel of a Norman king, made it feel both intimate and spectacular at the same time.
Ruins by the sea in Selinunte
 |
| Panoramic View of the Mediterranean at Selinunte |
 |
| Temple C from afar, Selinun |
 |
| Temple E, Selinunte |
Mount Etna
As the tallest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna’s presence is seen and felt in eastern Sicily. Driving through the hilly region of the Nebrodi National Park, on roads full of switchbacks, Etna’s commanding presence towers over its surroundings. As much as I would have loved to have climbed up to see the lava flows, on the day I arrived at Rifugio Sapienza, the starting point for access to Etna’s south side, the volcano was erupting and the lifts and jeeps which take you to a 2500 meters elevation were shut down for the day. Nonetheless, it was a fascinating experience, with winds strong enough to pull you off the the sides of the trails, an ominous rumbling echoing from the depths of the volcano and thick grey, black and white smoke billowing from its mouth. The terrain just beyond the visitor’s center was unworldly: red and black rocky soil and deep craters interspersed with patches of snow. The few bold souls who attempted to hike higher soon retreated after the winds snatched away sunglasses and clothing and made the trek seem overly perilous.
 |
| Etna Erupting The Day We Were There! |
Naples and the Amolfi Coast
Finally after our tour of Sicili commenced, I found myself on a ferry on route across the Meditarraneian back toward Naples. which was simply amazing. This part of the journey was solo with myself and CocoWe were on our way to the Amalfi Coast by bus. It is the strech of coastline on the southern coast oof the Sorrentine Peninsual in the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy. I have to say being in San Diego, I didn't have much expectation for sea-line beauty. All I have to say was that I was absolutely wrong about that, simple in awe of the breathtaking views. For this part of the blog I will let the pcitures do the talking. Some of these were taken from a long hike into the wild - with breathtaking views - it's laced with trails first carved in the Middle Ages and used by mules to transport goods between villages, the hills and mountains of the Amalfi. In particular, I took the Il Sentiero degli Dei, "A walk made in haeaven, with a panoramic footpth between Agerola and Positano, about a 3 hour walk.
Here are some great hikes: www.positano.com/en/trekking-and-walks
The Lost City of Pompei
posted by Raj Oswal @ 10:55 AM
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