Sondrio, Italia   Good morning. Another good night's sleep. Although it has bothered my all night – who is Giovanni Bertacchi, and why is he important enough to have the piazza in front of the train station named after him. Giovanni Bertacchi (9 February 1869 – 24 November 1942) was an Italian poet, teacher and literary critic. He was born inn Chiavenna at the western end of the Valtellina and the Province of Sondrio; this the connection to Sondrio   In 1895 he published a fa

Torino, Italia > Sondrio, Italia   Good morning. Another good night's sleep. The ORSA union 24-hour train strike is underway. Yesterday there was a misunderstanding or miscommunication about the guaranteed service hours. They are from 06:00 to 09:00 and again from 18:00 to 21:00. This strike primarily effects Lombardy (i.e. where we are in Northern Italy). Suburban, regional and airport trains may be cancelled and/or modified. The train to Sondrio is considered a regional tra

Torino, Italia   The girls really did tire us out yesterday. We both slept all night, and I didn’t wake up until it had gone 05:30. A nice warm bath this morning. Went down to the restaurant here in the hotel for breakfast. I was really hungry for some reason. Normally it would be a cappuccino and brioche at a small bar, but this morning I needed more. They have a very nice buffet breakfast here. There were all types of rolls, croissants, fresh fruit, yogurt, scrambled eggs a

Torino, Italia   Good morning. We both had a good night’s sleep. We have communicated with Serra and Pietro, to meet at Torteria Quaranta on Via Giuseppe Manzoni for cappuccino and brioche. Torteria Quaranta is a really good pasticceria. The people there know Luisa, and maybe her mom and dad.   There was a bit of confusion. Pietro wrote and it was read as, we will be there at 10. What it said is we will be there until 10. So, we didn’t hurry over. In fact, took our time. We a

Milano, Italia > Torino, Italia   Time to change venues. We are headed back to Torino this morning. The goal is to downsize our suitcases to carryon for the next segment of the adventure. We have to be out by 10:00. The morning was spent putting things back where we found them, taking out the trash, packing the suitcases so they would close, and getting ourselves together to exit cleanly. Several trips were made to dispose of the refuse. One for organic and plastic (which inc

Milano, Italia   There is really nothing much to report. We have both been “under the weather” trying to relax and get better. Fortunately, we had antibiotics to help us get over the Pharaoh’s Revenge. So, we stayed in, played cards and too it easy.   We do go out to Hostaria La Baita near the train station, one of our favorite restaurants in Milano, for our traditional meal of Cotoletta alla Milanese. They offer it with French fries, we ask them to substitute Risotto alla Mi

Milano, Italia   V was off early to register for his housing at Bocconi and see if he can do anything about his classes. We are taking a day of rest and relaxation, well sort of. My stomach isn’t doing well today. It seems the better part of valor not to go to far from the apartment.   We stayed in all day. Played some cards. V can back and picked up his things to take to his housing. Went to the market to get some supplies. Just a quick trip. Make a trip the the pharmacy to

Torino, Italia > Milano, Italia   I am afraid that it will be another not so exciting today. The goals for today are simple. Go to Serra’s get V’s suitcase, take it back to Milano. We will also go through the suitcases we left here and get some of our cold weather cloths, sweaters, long johns, and the like, and take them back to Milano with us. Hopefully not too much.   We will stay in Milano until Friday the 30th, then we will return to Torino for the weekend. We knew about

Milano, Italia > Torino, Italia   Nothing exciting today either I am afraid. We were both sick to our stomachs this morning. We decided that the chicken wasn’t quite right last night. That is what Imodium is for, and why we travel with adult diapers. Just in case.   We hung around the apartment until 13:00. Then we when downstairs and out the front door to the trolley stop just a couple meters from the apartment building. We took the #15 trolley to Duomo. We used our credit c

Amman, Jordan > Milano/Roma, Italy   Today we Amman and move on to Italy. V is going to Roma to meet Ali’s father and spend a few days with Ali. We are on our way to Milano. V’s plane leaves at 10:30 and ours at 12:00. We only had one airport transfer booked, so we all went at 08:00 to the airport.   We are all in Crown or Business class so check-in is a breeze. They even have a special line for screening and passport control of Royal Jordanian Air customers. It all worked ou

Amman, Jordan   This morning, we were supposed to do an eight-hour tour of Northern Jordan. We were to see the Umm Oais, Ajlum Castle and Jerash. Even though we have lovely beds in nice comfortable rooms last night we were all tired and just a little ready to have a day off. We told Sami that eight hours was too much for us. He argued that we really needed to see Northern Jordan. The compromise is going to visit Jerash.   Jerash or Gerasa, is located 48 km (30 miles) north of

Wadi Rum > Madaba > Mount Nebo > Amman   Again, it is a single task day. Get to Amman and the Fairmont and take a nice long hot bath. We are supposed to stop in Madaba and see a Byzantine mosaic. Then it is on to Mt. Nebo. Mt. Nebo is the place, according to both Jewish and Christian traditions were Moses stood and looked out at the promised land, which he would not be allowed to visit. It is believed that Moses was buried, by God, on Mt. Nebo, although no one has every found

Petra, Jordan > Wadi Rum, Jordan   This morning, we are heading south of Petra towards, the Gulf of Aquaba. Aquaba is Jordan’s only seaport. Aquaba is also the one place where Egpyt, Israel and Jordan have a common boarder. However, we aren’t going all the way to Aquaba, we are going to the Wadi Rum Protected Area to the east of Aquaba.   Wadi Rum is a UNESCO site recognized for it outstanding natural beauty and cultural significance. Wadi Rum's cultural significance lies in 

Petra, Jordan   There is only one goal today – See the Monastery or Ed-Deir. Ed-Dier is located high in the hill northwest of the ancient city of Petra. It is the second most commonly visited monument in the Petra Archaeological Park. However, it is estimated that only about fifteen percent of the visitors ever see it   The reason why most people don’t make it to the monastery? It is reached by ascending a nearly 850-step path from the Basin. So, you not only get to climb up

Giza (Cairo), Egypt   Good morning. We have two museums to see today and a visit to the Cairo & Khan Khalili Bazaar by night which starts at 17:00 and goes for 22:00 (it does include dinner), then we have a 06:15 flight in the morning and need to get up and be in the lobby at 03:30. One of the first things we talked to Ahmed about this morning was the possibility of changing the visit to the bazaar from tonight to the night of the 16th when we return to Cairo for one night. H

Esna, Egypt > sail down the Nile to Edfu > Sail on to Kim Ombo, Egypt   We were under way again this morning at 05:30. On our way to Edfu and the Temple of Horus. Breakfast started at 08:00 which made waiting a bit long for some of us. We meet our guide in the reception area and walk off the boat. The street is about twenty feet above us, so it is up some stairs to get to it. Here our guide has arranged a horse and carriage to take us to Edfu.   Edfu was one of several temple

Luxor, Egypt > sail down the Nile to Edfu   This morning, we are starting at a more decent time, still early 06:30, but not as bad a 02:30. We get up and get ourselves going about 05:30. We are at breakfast in the dinning room at 06:00. They have machine made cappuccino which isn’t too bad, but better than nothing. It is a fairly good presentation with lots of choices. Actually somewhat surprising since the boat is only half full.   We are in the lobby/reception area at 06:30

Giza (Cairo), Egypt > Luxor, Egypt   Oh my God, it is 02:30. We will be leaving in an hour for the airport here in Cairo to catch a 06:15 flight to Luxor. Seems incrediable that we have to leave three hours and forty-five minutes before the flight, but that is program. We know that it should only take about forty minutes to get to the airport. At this hour their can’t be any traffic.   The number of vehicles on the road at this hour is actually impressive. It isn’t bumper to

Petra, Jordan   The day starts with an 08:30 for breakfast. Sami comes and joins us for breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast is very nice, lots of choices and an omelette station. The cappuccino was even fairly good. The brioche was fresh, and the “homemade” apricot jam was very good.   Just as it had gone 09:00, we were off to Petra. The main entrance and museum is just across the street from our hotel. Petra , originally known to its inhabitants as  Raqmu  ( Nabataean Aram

Cairo, Egypt > Amman, Jordan > Petra, Jordan   Obviously a travel day. This morning, we were up at 05:30 and in the lobby at 06:00.  The Cairo Kensington representative met us in the lobby and directed up out to our car.  We were on our way to the airport right on schedule at 06:00. Cutting it a little tight this morning as our flight is at 08:40. However, the airport assistance guy knows his thing. Using the business class check-in even though we were economy class. Walking