Bologna, Italia   Mary & I both had breakfast in the breakfast room at the hotel. V and Ali came by to say goodbye as they are returning to Milano and Roma, respectively. We got dressed to go outside and take a walk. We walked down Via della’indipendenza all the way to Piazza XX Settembre. We could see the train station in Piazza Madaglie D’Oro from Piazza XX Settembre.   The 20th of September is the anniversary of the Capture of Roma in 1870. La Presa di Roma, the 20th, is t

Bologna, Italia   This is supposed to be a nice tranquil day of rest and relaxation. Sleeping wasn’t an option for Grace and I. The front desk had suggested we should be downstairs and ready to go at 04:15 to help insure we can get a taxi to take us to the train station for an 05:00 train.   We both arrived downstairs at 04:10. They called for a taxi. The first one decided not to come. They called another one. They may have called a third or fourth one, before one agreed to c

Sondrio > Bologna, Italia   Travel day. It rained and snowed last night, but this morning is just overcast thankfully. A quick breakfast in the hotel, took some fruit and a muffin up to Mary. We organized things for ride to Bologna. This is a two-train trip with a change of trains in Milano.   The first train is Sondrio to Milano Centrale. We have done this trip a hundred times, probably not really but probably fifty times. A sufficient number of times to know that 07:40 and

Sondrio, Italia   It is a beautiful sunny day, perhaps still on the cool side of the thermometer at 7 C, but still a beautiful day. It is still early in the morning but you can hear the activity outside. The workmen are getting ready for the Olympic activities which will start in Piazza Garibaldi on Friday, the opening day of the Olympiad. Serra and Pietro managed to get tickets to the opening event in Milano. It is probably a good thing we are getting out of Sondrio on Frida

Sondrio, Italia   Another good night’s sleep. Breakfast at 07:30. Cappuccino, brioche and yogurt. Wake Mary up at 08:45. Mariagiulia is coming for coffee at 10:30. We meet Mariagiulia in the Libby of the hotel at 10:30. We walk over to the Caffé Mokio on Corso Italia. We walk past Pasticceria Gelateria la Milanese, which is sadly closed for renovations. However, it does actually look like people might be in there working. The pastries there were wonderful.   Caffé Mokio is a

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