"Breaking up is hard to do..."

A "Dear John letter" is a letter written to tell someone their relationship is over, usually because the composser has found another lover. They are often written out of an inability or unwillingness to inform the subject face to face. It pains me to do it, but, this is my "Dear John Letter" to Italy, (only I have not found another lover, just another country)

    

Dearest John, I mean Dearest Italy,

I know this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be done. Writing like this. But, it’s the only way I have left. I am constantly surrounded by you, looking into your food, wine and culture, my mind goes blank, my thoughts jumble, and I am left with nothing for you but tears.

Being with you has been wonderful. Being with you has taught me so much. And there is so much that I am grateful for, so much that I will cherish well into my declining years.

But the time has come to say good-bye.  We both knew that this would not last forever.

We were simply not meant to be, my love.

You have your ways, I have mine, and nothing in the middle seems to make sense, particularly driving habits.  So many things still baffle me about you.

I love you, still. But the carbohydrate intake that lies beneath my stomach lining, has become more than I can endure. More than anyone should have to. For me, and for you. We are too good to settle for something that will never be.

I wish for you, all the things you dream of. All the things you need, such as more patience while queing and a better understanding of customer service.

I wish for you, a happiness that will endure.

Good-bye Italy my love, you will never be forgotton.

"Io vi amo e vi ringrazio per i ricordi."

 

Gonzos Abroad

Love and Loathing

Love and Loathing. I have discovered that it is actually possible to feel these two polar emotions at the same time.  As I think about leaving Italy, I am starting to reflect upon what I love and loath about this unique country.

• Everything is ancient
• LOVE the history, architecture, art, food; Italians respect their past and make an effort to cultivate others of their treasures
• LOATH the hole in the ground toilets and the resistance to change for the better

• The clothing tags are longer than the garments themselves
• LOVE that washing directions are in several languages, feels extremely 'European'
• LOATH forgetting to chop the tags off and feeling like I am shoplifting A4 sized notepads under my shirt or dress
• Disregard for road rules
• LOVE the fact that you arrive faster due to parking where you want, and not stopping when you have to
• LOATH the fact that drivers do not stop when they have to, (stop signs, red lights or pedestrian crossings), and they park where they want, (footpath, middle of the road, double/triple park; as long as the hazard lights are on, "we are all good")
• Ignorance of personal space
• LOVE the innocence of people picking up my children for a cuddle and taking them to show their friends (I know none of these people)
• LOATH my confusion between the two words friendliness and abduction



Random waiter in Florence that insisted we take a picture of him???

• Food
• LOVE it all, delicious, and you are EXPECTED to order first and second courses
• LOATH the amount of carbohydrates

• Coffee
• LOVE that it can cost 80c for a coffee, and a coffee to go is at a bar, served within the minute and you can double park to get it
• LOATH that you do not 'meet' for coffee, or it would be a 1 min 30 second outing, and a really quick conversation
• Wine
• LOVE that it is sooooo cheap and yummy
• LOATH the looks we receive from fellow diners when we order our litre of wine with meals
• Shopping
• LOVE that twice a year EVERYTHING goes on sale from 50 % to 70% off
• LOATH that everything is so expensive otherwise and nobody told me not to shop until July or January
• Children
• LOVE that people you slightly know, eg work colleagues, gym workers, shop assistants all request "meetings" with your children when they find out you have them
• LOATH.... seriously, this a little creepy
• Language
• LOVE the sound of it; it really is a lovely language even if I do not understand it
• LOATH that I do not understand it and am paranoid that I am being called silly French woman (I know, majority think I am French, bizarre)
• Customer Service
• LOVE that most of the smaller retail shops will greet you with an immediate "buongiorno", usually hollered from the opposite end on the store
• LOATH the come down after the enthusiastic greeting. You will now be ignored, even while purchasing something, you take second place to phone calls from Nonna or a review of a co-workers choice of nail polish colour
• Fashion
• LOVE the quality, availability and application of high fashion.  A visit to the local post box appears to be an occasion, you would only leave the house (apartment) in your "Sunday Bests".
• LOATH that imitations of the high fashion is sold on every corner displayed on a sheet or cardboard box.  Also loath that it is not socially acceptable to go to the local post box in my pyjama's (even if accessorised with a nice pair of kitten heels and a pair of over sized sunglasses).  Most are associated with Barbie in Milan, full of plastic and the face expression does not change much.

• Perception of necessity
• LOVE that on every corner there stands a church, (not a pub) that is older than the country that I was born.  Not often I passed a church without poking my head inside to see if there were fresco's, an organ, or any holy water in the font.
• LOATH the development of my conscience in my time in Italy.  The more churches I visited, the more I felt it disrespectful to take photos in this place of worship, but I have been torn, as I feel that this is the haven for the worlds best art.  Also loath my children's discovery of echo echo echo in these tranquil places of worship.

• Hand language
• LOVE the enthusiasm and expression of emotions. Speaking simultaneously with hands and mouth is a given for young and old, (see hubby, it IS possible to do more than one thing at a time)
• LOATH that arm flapping is a language in itself entirely.  A conversation can also be had with the hands and no words; yet another form of communication to be learnt.  (The only hand language I understood up until now was the middle finger for anger and rub your belly if you are hungry.... apparently there are more than 2 in the hand language index) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVCuyrPk7P4
• Italy
• LOVE it entirely



Milan's Duomo

• LOATH that it is time to leave

Vercelli; amble, amble, amble

We managed to find another day trip destination under the one hour travel limit so here we come Vercelli! Vercelli is located between Milan and Turin close to the River Po and is an important cultivator of rice, (largest in Italy), so our view approaching this town was of rice fields as far as the eye could see.  According to many historians, the city was first founded around the year 600 BC, (long, long ago), and was one of the oldest urban cities in this part of the country.

There are said to be several ruins scattered around the city which date back to the Roman times like the amphitheater, the hippodrome, sarcophagi and several other inscriptions quite a lot of which are Christian.  We wandered the historic city, but managed to find none, I even got lost and failed at finding the information centre after following the signs.  Finding it a little difficult to further convince my husband of my mental GPS, we decided our day would be best unrehearsed, and we ambled aimlessly thru the streets instead.

Piazza Cavour and Tower dell' Angello

There were quite a few towers

The cathedral of Vercelli is the most important religious center in the city. The cathedral was built centuries ago, was remodeled and changed several times over the years, especially once in the 9th and once in the 16th century. The cathedral is ornately designed and has several very beautiful paintings made by local artists. There is also a library in the cathedral that has several important ancient manuscripts including the Laws of the Lombards from the 8th century.  The main cathedral is usually easy to find, you look up.  There is always a visible dome that screams "I am the centre of attention".  So amble, amble, amble; only to find the entire building under construction and definitely no portal.  So after walking the circumference on the building, we find a museum, that is open for another 3 minutes before three hour lunch break.  Gather we will not be going in there either?  Amble, amble, amble.



This was our view under construction



This is what we should of seen

The signature local dish of the city is a dish called panissa which is made with rice and beans. Probably should of tried a rice dish, but by the time we sat down at a restaurant, both of the children were both asleep in the pram.  I got flustered, in all honesty, it was more of a panic.  The children NEVER sleep simultaneously during meals, this is a rare occassion.  Goodness me, could this be like a date with my husband???  Should I apply more lip balm and shake out my hair? We ordered a seafood plate and some wine as fast and quietly as possible and relished in the fact that there were no princess toys being launched across the table by a flicking fork.  Just between you and me I was busting to go to the toilet, but I thought crying out "pee pee" while holding my crutch would of spoilt the date atmosphere.  It was a lovely lunch, just as we finished the food and the wine, the children awoke and so we were obliged to order more food, (and wine).  Now what... amble, amble, amble.

The historic center of the town has many narrow pedestrian streets that are lined with small shops that sell unique locally made items, clothes and trinkets. We took advantage of the good number of places for shopping, and managed to buy anniversary and birthday presents for each other.  As we were leaving the historic centre, we found the worlds largest pot plant and made our way to one of the best playgrounds we have taken the children to in Italy. The numerous slides, swings, climbing frames, flying fox, soccer field and skate park, kept us at play until hubby started levitating as the mosquitos were carrying him away.  Another fabulous day, but sadly no doubt, our last day trip out of Milan.

World's largest pot plant, (or smallest child)?

No I have not turned so European that I am walking around naked, it is a sleeveless top

Great park

IF - Interesting Fact

In 1228 the first puplicly-funded university in the world was set up here and still exists today.

Bonza, bonza, off to Monza

The history of Monza is closely related to that of Milan. The cathedral, founded (6th cent.) by the Lombard queen Theodolinda, contains the iron crown of Lombardy, which was made, according to tradition, from a nail of Christ's cross from the crucifixion, and which was used to crown Charlemagneme, Charles V, Napoleon I, and other emperors as kings of Lombardy or of Italy. This definitely warranted the purchase of a ticket.  Forethought... kids free, yeehah!!  They only allowed groups in on half hour timeslots and we managed the last before lunch.  After thought.... I do not undersatnd Italian... doh!  So I hear, "blah, blah, blah, princepessa, blah, blah, princepe, blah blah". I felt as though I was about to witness some sort of rare spy device, (x-ray goggles would of been cool), as the informant unlocked vault after vault to finally reveal the crown in a glass chamber.  We were even locked into an iron gated section of the cathedral to witness the crown, (not quite sure how a fire evacuation plan would come into practice here).  I am later to find out that the alleged nail from Christ's Cross is about as feasible as my qualification for the tv show So You Think You Can Dance.  Not likely.  But none the less, it was a pretty crown.

The treasury also contains the crown, fan and gold comb of Theodelinda, and, as well as Gothic crosses and reliquaries, a golden hen, (no it does not lay golden eggs) and seven chickens, representing Lombardy and her seven provinces.

After our crown viewing we took a quick exit out of the echoing cathedral to walk the streets and grab some lunch.  It seems odd to say that each of these places we visit are so different from each other because I know I always describe the cobblestone streets, cute little alleyways and numerous churches.  This is obviously prevalent in most small Italian cities, but they all still retain their own differing character, like a birthmark would seperate a twin. 

The children dictate where our lunch stop will be, with a call of "pee pee", my son has his hands on his bits as he hops up and down, so we go to the closest restaurant near us.  We enjoy a few glasses of wine and mixed paninis, and I have a relaxing lunch.  My husband on the other hand gets to experience what he only describes as a "poo party", with both children, on seperate occassions.  For some reason, he is looking a little stressed when he returns to the table with son in a completely new outfit, he is muttering something about no nappy wipes in the bag.  On reflection, those snarling noises he was making at me were probably out of animosity not flirting.

We decided to just wander the streets, passing several churches, we found ourselves in and out of a couple of stores, and took a break for some gelati.  This seems to be our common weekend practice.

We stumbled upon Arengario, the broletto of Monza, a medieval palace which used to serve for meetings of the city council or nobles.  Its arcaded groundfloor occasionaly served as an open court of law, and I am sure as a shelter from the rain for shoppers in modern times. 

Arengario



The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track that has hosted the Formula One Italian Grand Prix since the sport's inception.  It is built in the Royal Villa of Monza park in a woodland setting, and the site has three tracks – the 5.793 kilometres Grand Prix track, the 2.405 kilometres Junior track, and a decaying 4.250 kilometres high speed track with steep bankings.  We were hoping to make the park in the afternoon, but as the clouds rolled over and we noticed the time on our watch, we decided for another day trip tomorrow. 

IF - Interesting Fact

The Monza circuit has been the arena of many fatal accidents, especially in the early years of the Formula One world championship, and has claimed the lives of 52 drivers and 35 spectators.

The definition of Bonza is excellent, pleasing and amusing... I think this describes Monza perfectly.  All is bonza when in Monza!

Bulls in a china shop

Since we are trying to squeeze in tourist acts in any moment possible, we decided it was time to take the bulls by the horns and visit a museum in Milan.  We generally avoid museums.  I am presuming they have a similar motto to shops regarding valuables, "You break it, you pay".  Therefore entering the china shop wearing red with two juvinille bulls would not be in our best interests.  I am not even quite sure how you would go about replacing a vase from the 5th Century, "Do you take VISA?"

The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum is a not-for-profit historic house museum in downtown Milan. The Italian Renaissance art and decorative arts collections of the barons Bagatti Valsecchi are displayed in their home and visitors may view not only particular pieces of art, but also the house's authentic ambiances, expressive of late 19th century aristocratic Milanese taste.  The children are told not to touch, but as we enter the first room they both run to climb up onto an old chair.  From this point on, we are followed extremely closely by security in each room, (I can even let you know that the security man in the study had bad breath), they were definitely near-at-hand and not stealth.  Bit hard to blend in really; clumsy family of four enters and my husband's whispering louder than a scream "Don't touch" to the bulls.  Waste of time really.  Bulls obviously don't understand english, or italian.

The building was designed in Neo-Renaissance style, it has an elegant facade and is furnished with works of art and imitation Renaissance furniture.

15th to 17th century furniture for children

The rooms feature tapestries, ivory work, ceramics and arms, and important art works.



16th and 17th Century porcelain vases



Found next to a bed, alarm clocks have definitely changed over time

Bath tub

16th century wood paneling furniture concealing a piano

Private ballroom for princess to perform her ballet

Potty training anyone?



16th century bed with Christ ascending Calvary and scenes
from the old testament carved in the bedstead.

We managed to escape without having to pay for anything, and the non-smiling guards even managed a smile at us as we were leaving.  Hang on a minute... was it because we were leaving?  I wish we had taken the opportunity to visit a few more places like this sooner, it is a great way to educate the children and I relish in the history.  I love old stuff!

I'd prefer pull a rabbit out of my hat

I have officially achieved a hat trick!  Something has been accomplished 3 times, in this instance, I am referring to theft against me for the third time.  Alright, so this is not necessarily the kind of hat trick I wish upon myself.  Personally I would of preferred my hat trick to involve pulling out a rabbit, or rolling a top hat down my arm.

First I had my handbag stolen.  Then our car was broken into and someone stole our GPS, (which only spoke english by the way, so I hope the thief in this instance only speaks Italian).  Next; our weekend entertainment has been stolen.  Goodbye to my new bicycle, and to my husbands bicycle.  As a matter of fact, also a big farewell to the other six bicycles that have also been permanently borrowed from our apartments bike rack.  You would think I should solace in the fact that another six bikes were taken.  Nope.  There is no comfort in my sorrow.  Is it my bad luck or does Milan just have a high crime rate? How do you casually steal eight bikes?  What do you do with eight bikes? Were there eight thiefs?

Is this where my bike has gone?

I can not help but think that maybe if we rode to the markets on Sunday, (which is apparently when the robbery took place), that my bike would still be here.  I wonder if my bike had not been your 'average looking bike' then the thief would of thought it too suspicious to take.  They say "Third times a charm", I do not find this 'burglary thing' charming at all.

Maybe if I had this sort of bike it would of been left behind

What upsets me most of all, is the dwindled visions of  "happy European family" bike rides.  We only have six weeks to go.  It looks as though we will have to conclude our European tour via scooter.
Good things come in three's.
Three cheers for the thiefs, hip hip, hooray, hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray, (now stay away)!

I think the bandit came prepared with REALLY sharp scissors

This empty bike rack reflects the empty spot in my heart


I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like
- Queen