Learning Italian at the Beach!

Hello fellow travellers! 

Since we are travelling to Italy with our VM Travel Friends so much lately, I finally decided that it was time, once and for all, to focus on learning Italian.  Where better to do it than in Bella Italia!! 

Versilia is the region in northern Tuscany where the beaches reign supreme!  The strip of sand is lined with 'bagno' after 'bagno', private beaches that rent umbrellas, and will sell you a cold "Aperol Spritz" on a hot day!  Luckily my school, the Centro Giacomo Puccini Institute gave us a lovely spot at the 'Bagno Italia' in order to sunbathe and do our homework in the afternoons.  

The fishing village of Viagreggio is flanked by two pine forests and cut through the middle by a canal - one fit for schooners and trawlers, but a bit too skinny for the big yachts to get through.  I rented a beautifully decorated, lofted apartment with an Italian family - who spoke to me only in Italian. This was great practice, although I frequently ended up at home with my brain full of new Italian words, exclaiming, "Sono a la fruta!" or 'I'm at the fruit' - the last course of a big dinner where you just can't jam any more learning in for the day!  Elisabetta and Carlo gave me a bike to get to school and I found myself weaving through oncoming traffic and dodging market goers, just like the locals!

Classes began at 9am with Grammar lessons, then we had a conversation class, where we met many friends from all over the world.  The school has a reputation, and foreign students from Switzerland, Germany, USA, France and even Lichtenstein came to get their credentials in Italian language.  My private language tutor, Alessandra was wonderful, and since I was doing an intensive wine, food and tourism course, she even took me to her favourite restaurant in Pisa - and I got to invite some fellow Canadian students and friends! The food was meraviglioso, all local products from Pisa paired with Vini Lucchesi  - wines from Lucca - delicious!


We were so lucky to be situated only a short train ride from Pisa, Lucca, Cinque Terre so we took advantage and bopped around the countryside on the notoriously late Italian trains.  I was told by a local octopus fisherman who was also on the train, that he no longer wears a watch because nothing in Italy starts on time. So very true.

With a Swiss friend we climbed the Torre Guingi in Lucca to hang out amongst the 7 trees on top, then we had a wine in the amphiteatro antico and truffle pasta at the local Osteria Baralla, serving up fresh porcini mushrooms and hand made pastas since 1860!  Priska showed me the nonchalant exhilaration of getting lost in the narrow cobbled streets, then finding our way again, usually by asking directions from local cute Italians... we may have gotten carried away, and had to take the midnight train home!
 
Once cannot live on the northern Italian coast without visiting the Cinque Terre.  From Viareggio it was an hour train ride to the end town of Monterrosso, the one with the best beaches!  From there we hiked the cliffside path to Vernazza along the rocky steps and over the bridges, all with stunning views!  A well deserved lunch which included the regions specialty... pesto, was washed down by a Nastro Azzuro.  The sea was calling our names so Robin and I boarded a boat to Manarolo and we sailed with the wind in our hair!!  As the sun was setting we had a sundowner prosecco before jumping on the train back to our beach town home.

I am pleased to say that my study abroad was successful.. ho imparato tantissimo! I am already planning a trip back to further my Italian language experience.  I can't wait to practice while on the next adventure, Yoga and Wine on the Amalfi Coast! 
See you soon on our next adventure together... in Italia!  Natascha xx

SKETCHING THE FAIRYTALE!

This Fall a group of adventuresome artists from Saskatchewan joined instructor Cecelia Jurgens and Corinne of VM Travel Adventures on a Sketchbook Workshop Tour of Europe’s best “fairytale” countries. The Wiechmann Hotel in Amsterdam situated on a corner of one of the 9 little streets gave us lots of sketching opportunities: crooked houses that looked like they were going to topple into the canal, bicycles and geraniums that decorated the bridges.  Of course our day in the countryside to visit the windmills at Zaanse Schans and taste some cheese in Volendam gave a different perspective to this flat country called the Netherlands, most of it below sea level.  The Van Gogh museum was a delight as we had a close up look at his Sunflowers and Apple blossoms. Some shopping time too as we dared to be pedestrians on the streets where most Dutch were on bikes with children and groceries as their cargo.

The fast train transported us to Frankfurt, then Baden Baden and finally Offenburg in the Black Forest where we unpacked for a whole week in the Stadt Hotel. The village of Gengenbach is 1280 years old! Yes, lots of history here including the statue of a knight from 1571 in the town market square.  Robert, our bus driver spent the first 5 days confusing us as to which country we were in. With the Alsace, France being just across the Rhine we spent a few glorious, sunny days painting the half timbered houses and vineyards of this unique region that has been handed off between France and Germany many times over the years. This accounts for its unique culture and interesting food. We enjoyed a lovely French meal in Mittelbergheim, a restaurant that Corinne knew of from her days as a teacher in Lahr. A somber moment was at the Studhof Nazi Concentration Camp in the Vosges Mountains, but the mood was soon lifted with an impromptu stop at a winery in Ottrott. 

Our days in Germany were sunny and warm as we painted the massive Black Forest Houses that had family, beast and fodder all under one roof. The Gutach Open Air Museum was a tranquil setting for sketching. This was followed by a meal of freshly caught trout at the Gasthof Kreuz in Prinzbach. Yes, for some the heads and tail had to be removed before it was consumed.  Eight of us had the energy to climb to the top of the 13^th century Geroldsech castle ruins for more sketching. Our final day was a drive through the Black Forest to stop for Black Forest cake and yes, more shopping before visiting Triberg Falls and Villigen. It was a holiday in Germany on this day and thus the stores in Villigen were closed. This probably saved a few overweight charges for the return trip home.

With 6 sketching sessions and 2 critiques, Cecelia managed to encourage us all on our journey to become artists!  Danke schoen!

Vineyards & Vistas on Italy's Amalfi Coast

There is no coastline more spectacular than Italy's Amalfi Coast. It has everything: breathtaking  precipices, villas and restaurants built out of the rock cliffs, a cantilevered, sinuous road and of course terraced lemon groves and " limoncello"!  This May I had the privilege of sharing this breathtaking scenery with the Birch family and friends who were celebrating , well should I say, some 'significant' birthdays.  Dan and Arlene Birch, former guests on a wine tour of South America decided to celebrate the occasions with a Vineyards and Vistas Tour of Italy.

Wine  was definitely not in short supply - the DOC region of Campania was within driving distance  - thankfully we had Giovanni of Italy Limousine to escort us safely from one winery to the other. Taurasi is the hilltop village which gives its name to this DOC wine made principally from the Aglianico grape (try to pronounce that will you!).  Antonio of Cantina Caggiano is known for his photographs as well as his for his unique wine cave and his ownTaurasi wine he presented to Pope John Paul II!  Another special visit was will Roberto of Di Meo - lovely property and outstanding wines! Roberto is always dreaming up new grape products, his recent being a perfume for the person or the room!  Fabuloso!  We happened upon Cantina aperto Sunday where participating wineries open their doors on the last Sunday in May to the public for special activities, tours and tastings. Casa di Baal is a small family run winery and olive oil farm.  We met the whole family - tasted their wines in the olive grove and delighted in their local cuisine - what were those? deep fried pizzas? 
Yes, we literally stocked up on enough wine to keep us fluid for the vistas part of the tour!  Our final and very special tasting was at the Montevetrano Winery with Silvia who is the genius behind this beautiful wine, a simple Bordeaux style with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and  the region's Aglianico (yes that word again).  She only makes one wine, and thus we were able to do a vertical comparison! What a treat to hear her story!

I have known Anna from La Vecchia Quercia (the old oak) since 2003 and visiting her property in the hills above Salerno is a peaceful experience. Anna has such a gentle manner as she explains her passion for the natural products she uses from the countryside where she grew up.  Breakfast was a culinary delight of freshly made jams, jellies and juices from the most unsuspecting fruits and vegetables, all accompanied by unpasteurized, scrumptious cheeses from the area. One night for dinner Anna had everyone rolling out real Italian ravioli pasta! MMMM Regale! 

This region of Italy near Paestum, the incredible Greek and Roman Archeological site is also known for Bufalo Mozzarella cheese as they have as many water buffalo as cattle in Alberta, okay maybe I am exaggerating a bit. Actually we didn't see that many buffalo but  we could certainly smell them and every second shop was selling fresh buffalo cheese!  We had a tour and a hot cheese tasting at the Rivabianca factory. No it was not raclette but warm freshy made mozzarella cheese right out the hands of the Mozzas, the strong men mixing, then pinching off just the right size of Mozzarella balls 50 grams, 250 grams - their well trained hands knew exactly how much to pinch off!

Stocked up on food and wine, it was time to get some exercise on the Amalfi Coast - some chose to walk  from shop to shop - yes that is called exercise! Some chose to enjoy a bottle of wine on the café terraces (this too, weightlifting for the arm) and others braved a dip in the cool Mediterranean Sea after buying a souvenir beach towel from Amalfi, of course.  It took us all day to travel the 100km of this coastline and thanks to Giovanni we made it to the Capri ferry in time for the evening sail, everyone in one piece and no one car sick. Grazie mille Giovanni.  We boarded the ship just as all the day passengers were disembarking. This is the key to really enjoying the Isle of Capri - go when all the tourists are coming back, plan to stay in Annacapri, the small town on the highest peak where all the locals live and don't give the famous town of Capri much notice. After all, it is just name brand stores and high prices - there is much more to see as we discovered on our private boat trip around the Island. Incredible rock walls! The weather was not ideal on this tour (about 10C below normal) but somehow when we needed the sun it shone for us as it did on this voyage and the pizza/pasta birthday lunch which followed. Of course we had a few bottles of wine - we had a birthday to celebrate!  Other delights during our 2 day stay in Annacapri, a delightful luncheon at the Gelsomina restaurant and yes, some brave souls could not resist the pool overlooking the precipice!
Another fabulous discovery was the Villa San Michele that a Swedish doctor, Axel Munthe built on top of the Tiberius ruins and incorporated many of the artifacts in his villa and garden. A real delight to see. Some of us too, took the chairlift (1950's era) to the highest point on the Isle to see all of Naples, Vesuvius, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast down to Paestum laid out at our feet!
Weren't we smart to take the morning ferry back to Sorrento - empty - only to see the hoards of tourists boarding for their one day , not too in depth visit to this mysterious island that intrigued everyone from Roman generals to British playwrites.
One cannot bypass Sorrento - the narrow streets of the old town are a shopping delight. Famous for inlaid music boxes and limoncello, we found just that extra inch of space in our luggage to accommodate our new purchases.  Giovanni delivered us to the not so appealing city of Naples with a little stop at Pizza a Metro - yes they actually take pizza orders by the meter with your choice of toppings!
The port hotel/restaurant called Hotel Trans Atlantico made our stay in Naples a real pleasure. They only have 8 rooms and most of them look over Mt Vesuvius and the luxurious yachts lined up along the restaurant dock. Lots of comings and goings to keep one entertained all day and all night - even fireworks ! Yes, Dan and Arlene, there really were fireworks - loud and colourful ones!  A visit to the Archeological Museum with our informative guide, Nicolas complimented our understanding of Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii on that fateful day back in 72 AD. 
Our farewells were said at lunch on the restaurant terrace. Everyone going back to our routines in Canada or the US only to dream of the warm Italian hospitality and yes, those wonderful wines!!!

Colourful Morocco - a feast for the senses!

This May, 8 women from Western Canada courageously took a step back in time to Colourful Morocco!  After a long winter the Moroccan sun warmed our faces and the friendly Moroccan people warmed our hearts. It was a  delight for all of our senses!  The majorelle blues, the Marrakech reds and the saffron yellow were all available as pigments and they appeared in all facets of their life from clothing to food! The moroccan spices, like cumin and " la tete de la maison" compliments the flavourful tagines that one eats with a piece of bread and the 3 fingers of the right hand - at least that is how they did it!  Their staple beverage,  sweet, sweet mint tea - no wonder there is a dentist selling teeth in the FNA - no dental plan here! The early morning minaret announcing the call to prayer at 5am, then again 4 more times during the day.  How do they fit it all in!  And the soft texture of the scarf wrapped around our heads in turban style so keep the desert sand out of our faces!  Creative time was built into the itinerary, but the temptation to visit the souks to find that unique rug, piece of Berber jewelry or exotic spices was just too great! How to get it all home? - of course they ship it right to your door!! That was a handy option for some of us! Marrakech was bustling with markets, storytellers and snake charmers so our respite in the traditional Hammam was appreciated by all.  One afternoon we enjoyed the tranquility of the Majorelle Gardens and were able to open up our sketchbooks.

The oasis landscape heading off to the Sahara Desert was another feast for the eyes!! All the little communities bustling with sheep and goats at the market, kids in their white tunics walking or biking to  school and donkeys so laden with hay one could only see their feet! A simple life and it seems everyone is happy and contributes to family life. The deeper we got into the desert, the slower the pace. Even the dromedaries were not in a hurry!  The camel ride into the desert to catch the sunset was a highlight! Hard to imagine all that sand!
We survived! Thanks to the three men on our tour who took excellent care of their harem! Would you go back? I would in a heartbeat!

Corinne visits Patagonia

Leaving the Rocky mountains in November is a great time to find some sun and tango in Buenos Aires. Although Natascha and I know South America's wine regions really well we had not yet visited Patagonia. So to give my poor tango feet a break I decided to take an excursion to El Calafate, Argentina, a 3 hour flight south of La Capital in the heart of Patagonia.  Lunar like landscape on landing gave me second thoughts about my decision, but soon this quaint town on the edge of Lago Argentino with its Banff like shops and restaurants put my mind at ease. Most tourists were there to hike as was apparent in their boots and walking sticks. Yes, I did leave my tango shoes in BsAs and had my hiking boots along! 

My first excursion, the one most people take, was to Perito Moreno about a one hour drive from El Calafate. Daniel, the guide informed us that this glacier was in equilibrium - it advanced an incredible two meters a day and big chunks of the oldest ice at the front of the glacier (300 years) cracked and spat its way into the lake below.  How lucky we were with perfect sunshiny weather and no wind to be able to see and hear this glacial activity. The Argentines have created some extensive and safe walkways so that one is able to see all sides of this immense block of ice. Some more adventureous guests chose to hike on the glacier itself and were delighted at the opportunity to crampon their way down crevaces in the sky blue ice.  Looked scarey to me!

I opted for the boat excursion to the front of the 80 meter wall of ice to get a close up view of the age old ice!

A further ride away (4 hours) was Torres del Paine Park in Chile - yes that meant passports, papers, customs, throwing away any fruit for fear of being fined in Chile and time! But well worth the visit!  The park is the number one UNESCO park in the world!!!! Torres del Paine means Towers of a blue/black rock and they are young - only a meer 13 million years young compared to the 65 million year old Andes. Stunning is the only way to describe them!  The bright sunshine (hot in fact) and the robin egg blue water that formed the glacier lakes made it picture perfect. Unfortunately my camera battery was exhausted so no perfect pictures for me!  I have arranged to have them sent to me by a guest from Spain.  His camera equipment made me think that he just might have that perfect shot. After visiting waterfalls and lakes and learning about the delicate balance of this ecosystem, the big army style 4x4 that transported us to Chile left around 4pm for the 4 hour journey back to Argentina WITHOUT me.  I was so happy to have booked into an ecocamp at the base of the Torres for the night.  I hadn't really put much thought into the type of accommodation I would be staying in. A few of the other guests who were overnighters in the park (yes, another form to fill out) were staying in a fancy hotel so when Corinne, the director of the ecocamp showed me to my little hobbit house structure, it sunk in that this was truely an ecocamp, just as the name suggests - all electricity generated from water turbines or solar power - heat by wood stove and recycled wood and everything made from environmentally friendly materials.  Somehow I fell into this delightful accommodation without planning it.  Besides the low environmental impact, other delightful aspects of this camp were the windows to the sky,  the family style dining and welcome pisco sour that got everyone visiting in all varieties of languages.  One big happy family, informative guides who were busy planning the next days excursions with you. Corinne was sweet in giving me an upgrade to a superior dome which had its own bathroom, clearly she could see that I was not prepared for this delightful surprise.  Gracias Corinne!

Well I am back in Buenos Aries now, ready to squeeze my feet into those highheels again only to be whisked away on the dance floor by Juan Carlos! 

Artists Capture the Spirit of Newfoundland!

What a happy bunch!!!  The multicoloured jelly bean houses, the dramatic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean, the idle fishing boats in the "Petits" Habours and the unprecedented spirit of the Newfoundlanders made our Sketchbook Workshop Tour to this great Canadian province this summer an ABSOLUTE DELIGHT!  Everyday was filled with wonderful sketching opportunities - too many for the artists' palettes to stay closed for even one day.  Cecelia inspired each and everyone of the 19 artists to capture the landscape even if it meant trudging over rocky terrain to get the perfect view!  

Ferryland lighthouse (photo) offered up ocean vistas (some even saw the minky whale), a colourful subject on challenging terrain and a lovely gourmet picnic lunch!  Bell Island just a short ferry ride from St. John's is where the artists looked like stones sprinkled along the Island's dramatic cliff that plunged to the ocean.   See any outhouses??? Thanks to the mayor of Bell Island to delivering a portapotty for our group!  Later that day our guided tour of the #2 Iron Mine with Ed was a real eyeopener to a miner's life during the operation of the mine from 1895 to 1966!

Audrey, our token Newfoundland artist helped us find the secretive " Pitcher Plant" - again another trek into the boggy countryside, but well worth it! This provincial flower is the one you see waving in the Newfoundland and Labrador TV ads.  We all agreed that these ads are a true depiction of the colours of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Yes, we were " Screeched In" and everyone kissed the slippery cod and took a swig of that Jamaican Rum called Screech! We are now official Newfoundlanders!  Darrin and Tracy of Newfoundland Tours, not only provided us with Transport but also entertained us with singing and dancing any occasion they could in the true Spirit of Newfoundland.

Corinne and Cecelia,

What a trip to our magnificent eastern coast!  You led us from amazing vistas to snug little harbours while we discovered the history and culture of the delightful Newfoundlanders.  Thank you both for your expertise and professionalism while creating memories of a truly unforgettable experience.  Hopefully, I will again visit Newfoundland, one of Canada's best kept secrets.

 Barbara Piper

Italy's Fabulous Amalfi Coast with Giovanni!

Since 2003 I have known about the stunningly beautiful Amalfi Coast but it wasn't until I connected with Josephine and Giovanni of Italy Limousine that VM Travel is finally able to offer an enjoyable and relaxed tour of this crazy, busy coastline with tiny villages tucked under the famous cantilevered coastal highway. Well, one cannot really call it a highway when it is impossible for two tour buses to meet at certain places and it can sometimes back up traffic for hours!  However the vistas, the terraced lemon groves  and tiny italian villages are well worth the effort.

The seven of us started our tour in Rome and once we got the "big city" out of our system we made our way down to Naples where Giovanni met us with  a comfortable van large enough for ourselves and our luggage!  We took a couple of  stops at Mt. Vesuvius to hike up to the crater and Pompeii to saunter through this huge metropolis in ruins before meeting Anna at La Vecchia Quercia. She treated us to a lovely gourmet meal created from her own kitchen - one of the best meals we ate in Italy!  The next day we spent in the country side touring the vineyards near Taurasi. Thank goodness for Giovanni's GPS as they are not easy to find in the rolling hills and terraced vineyards of Campania. Here we discovered the delights of Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino and Aglianico. Now try finding these varietals in a Canadian Liquor Store! Almost impossible! To add to the culinary experience we visited a Bufalo Mozzarella farm to see how this delicate cheese is worked into those lovely round white balls -mmmmm Que Buono when it is fresh!  My sister, Glenys  and I foundered ourselves of Insalata Caprese (fresh bufalo mozzarella , tomatos and basil) and we all know what can happen when one eats too much cheese, right Glenys???  After that, a visit to the magnificent Greek ruins at Paestum was not to be missed!  We enjoyed another great meal casa Anna, this time we contributed as she taught us how to make fresh pasta and a simple gelatin- fresh orange juice dessert! Our stay at La Vecchia Querica  was fabulous as we were perched up on the hill in lovely accommodation with fireflies entertaining us in our dreams!  Grazie mille Anna for the copious breakfasts with your fresh and varied produce topped off with, what other than a CAPPUCINO!

We spent one full day navigating the Amalfi Coast from Salerno to Sorrento with Giovanni as our guide!  Some decided to hike up to the clifftop Ravello, some decided to enjoy lunch in the square and do some sketching. In all there was plenty of time to shop and peer over vistas in one of the most beautiful towns on the coast. After a brief stop in Amalfi (more coffee and do-nuts for Eunice!) Gio delivered us to the port in Sorrento for our boat ride to the Isle of Capri. We lucked out as most people were returning from their day in Capri and we had the boat to ourselves as we arrived in the evening.  Villaceselle  arranged for our pickup in the tiniest pickup you can imagine. We realized that the size was necessary on the tiny little roads that took us up to Anacarpi to our lodging!  Needless to say, we did need another transport and that just happened to be a canopy taxi  specially built for the Isle of Capri. Four of us got to enjoy this open air ride while the rest of us road with the luggage piled high around us!!
Definitely it was worth the effort to go to the highest point on this Island, Anacapri where the real people live!  The town of Capri is full of tourists, designer shops and big prices. Cecelia  happened to recognize Tonny Bennett, but he did not recognize her so they did not have a chat!  Besides, he was too busy with the lovely lady on his arm!   We were glad only to have a quick look around before heading back up to our villa to great shopping with the local flavour.

 Besides hiking along the rugged coast (actually Paul was the only one who really enjoyed it, but then he is an elan!) we all enjoyed the boat ride around the Island as we ducked into caves and craned our necks to see the calcaire clifftops.  The hotel restaurant Gelsomina, again with stunning views from the restaurant and the swimming pool served us up some wonderful fresh fish and house wine on the terrace - a relaxing afternoon much deserved after the 3 hour morning hike!
We parted ways in Naples after a farewell dinner at the Transaltantico Hotel nestled in a port full of yachts and Mt Vesuvius as the background!
Ciao everyone!  Thanks to Trevor for keeping us on time and to Kim for gathering up the flock, when we were lead astray! Yes, often!!!