Fa Caldo !

Even the statues need shades with all this sunshine!

Whether you are in Europe or the United States, right now chances are you are feeling the heat.  In Italian we say fa caldo - it’s hot. 

Much of the world is experiencing a dramatic ondata di caldo (heat wave) which has many of us (me included) feeling more than a little bit grumpy. I am trying to run errands early in the day, the afternoon finds me staying indoors. I’m a bit envious of my Australian friends, for whom it is not summer but winter.  If only they could bottle that cool air and send it our way!

Italians have many expressions to describe the intense summer heat.  These range from the humorous, mi sudano le mutande (my undies are sweating) to the slightly profane (to be used only when it is really, really hot) un caldo della Madonna! Whenever the name of the Madonna (the religious figure, not the pop star) is used, well then, it’s a pretty serious complaint.  Perhaps it is more politically correct to say that there is un caldo bestiale, a brutal or beastly heat.

On a hot summer day in Lucca a Caffè Shakerato is essential. Either straight espresso or with a little milk, this iced coffee drink is just the thing on a hot afternoon.

This summer you could say si può friggere un uovo sulla marciapiede (you could fry an egg on the sidewalk) or sul cofano della macchina (on the hood of the car). In Texas last week, someone was baking bread in their mailbox.  That’s hot!

These very warm days have me thinking about all the ways to keep cool in the heat of summer, from cool summer drinks to no-cook meals to dips in the pool. 

It’s much too hot to cook during the day, so creative entertaining and dining are called for. Fancy entertaining is just not happening in this heat. An aperitivo happily replaces meal preparation. Better yet when accompanied by a crisp white wine or a tart summer cocktail! It’s hard to beat a spritz or a cosmopolitan sipped with a pretty Italian view.

A cold, creamy gelato is practically medicinal in the summer heat. And if a gelato is good, an affogato (ice cream “drowned” in espresso) might just be even better! It’s a real pick-me-up.

Sailing School, Rapallo

I’ve also been thinking of the different places I’ve gone over the years to escape the heat. 

The Ligurian coast, still hot but cooled just a bit by a sea breeze, is a wonderful summer escape.

With August just around the corner it’s a sure thing that the Italians will be headed for the coast.

In the US, coastal Oregon, with its rocky beaches and old lighthouses, provides a wonderful summer escape.  Even the fog was delightful.

The mountains of New Mexico and Colorado are a favorite summer vacation spot for my family. Cool mountain air, river paths to walk, lakes, and lots of fun activities keep my grandkids happy despite the heat. Truth be told, I am happy to be in the low humidity heat of the western US in the summertime and usually head to New Mexico to avoid the hot, humid Italian summers.

England and Scotland provide a nice break from the heat of summer. Even in August a light jacket or sweater might be needed. Better still if you can get to Edinburgh to celebrate the Fringe Festival in August. Fun performances and cool weather make Edinburgh a great summer choice. And the interior of those castles stay cool too.

Wherever you are this summer, I hope your strategies for staying cool are working!   As for me, I will return to hot and humid Italy in mid-August. You will find me cooling off on the shores of an Italian lake.

An August escape to the Italian lakes holds at least a promise of cooler temperatures.

Do you have a favorite place to cool off, or a favorite summer time food / drink? If so, post some photos on the Two Parts Italy Facebook page.  We could all use the inspiration!

Italy Travel Update : June 2022

It’s June and the Italian summer travel season is in full swing. It seems that everyone who has been not-so-patiently waiting to vacation in Italy for the past two years has arrived this month, a pattern that will likely continue throughout the summer. Expect crowds. Recent travelers include my daughter and two oldest grandkids who arrived this month for a long awaited trip to visit me in Italy. I flew back to the US with them just a few days ago and so thought this would be a good time to share the realities of the current travel situation.

Italian summertime treats - gelato and granita!

Let’s start with the COVID related rules - a subject that has dominated travel discussions for the last two years and confused us all with frequent revisions. The good news is that things are less complicated now. As of June 1 all of the COVID restrictions for entering Italy have been eliminated. The Italian Green Pass, which documented both the results of testing and the completion of vaccines is no longer in use. That means that no proof of vaccines is required (though it is still highly recommended that one be fully vaccinated before any travel) and no pre-flight COVID test is needed. This includes for entry into Italian restaurants, museums, theaters, etc.

Mask mandates are not required in most places but they are still mandatory (through at least September) on public transportation. This includes Italian airline flights, trains, ships, buses. They are also required in health care facilities. And not just any mask will do. An FFP2 (or KN95) is required. Italians are for the most part compliant about this. I have seen staff require passengers to change to an appropriate mask or put one on if they are maskless, especially on planes and trains. It was not enforced on the private ferry services we recently took in Liguria.

The seaside beckons in the fishing village of Camogli

The bad news is that the effect of relaxing the rules is an increasing number of COVID infections. From a personal perspective, COVID has spread more among people I know in the last few months then at any time since the beginning of the pandemic. Several have been quite sick and remained positive, and isolated, for several weeks. This has been a significant enough increase that many in Lucca’s English speaking community have returned to limiting group sizes, avoiding indoor groups, masking in any crowd, more frequent testing, and self-quarantine at the first sign of a sniffle. The relaxation of rules plus the influx of tourists is a concern and many worry that the rules have been cut back too much, too quickly. It remains to be seen if there will be a return to some of the previous rules so it is best to check right before travel. The best site I’ve found is the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.esteri.it) with information in both Italian and English.

What about the return to the United States? As of June 12 there is no requirement for COVID testing prior to entering the US (a big change). US citizens do not need to provide proof of immunization. Non-US citizens are required to have completed a primary series of immunizations at least two weeks prior to entry to the US, no booster required. Masks are no longer required on US airlines but still highly recommended. Few people were wearing masks on my recent flight from Frankfurt to Denver, despite a packed flight and those rising European COVID rates. I had mine firmly in place, as did my family. Vaccinations and masks may not be required but they remain the best defensive strategy. And it should go without saying that anyone with signs of illness should not board a plane!

Lucca’s balconies are filled with colorful summer flowers.

Now, for the harsh reality of air travel this summer. Combine a huge increase in travelers to Europe with shortages of pilots, airport staff, and baggage handlers and you get a perfect recipe for chaos. Throw in an uptick in strikes by airline workers and air traffic controllers in Europe and England and, mamma mia - che casino (what a mess)! Travelers need a double dose of patience, determination, the ability to handle last minute changes, flexibility, and a lot of pre-trip preparation.

Take my daughter’s trip as an example of what can happen. She arrived in Frankfurt to find her connection to Pisa canceled. She was rebooked automatically but with a two day delay in Frankfurt and one of her children on a different flight (definitely not ok!). In order to get her to Italy with only a one night stay in Germany, and both kids on the same flights, she had to fly to Rome instead of Pisa and then take a train to Florence and another to Lucca. With two teenagers in tow. She received no (zip, zero) help from the airlines with finding a hotel for her overnight delay. She arrived in Rome a day later, but two out of three suitcases did not. They were missing in action for almost the whole trip. That meant buying new wardrobes for my daughter and one of the grandkids. When did the bags arrive? The last 2 days of the trip! The tales of travelers arriving days late, missing cruises or big events, ruined trips, tears, and lost luggage are all too frequent right now. So, what’s a traveler to do?

The neighborhood in Rome where I found a last minute hotel as I raced there to meet my family’s rerouted flights. A stressful and expensive detour but I made the best of it. I found a lovely neighborhood bar just down the street from the hotel.

First, keep an eye on flight schedules as they are likely to change. Choose flights with as few legs as possible. It might save some money to have more stops but it also increases the chance for delays and cancelations. Whenever possible fly directly into Italy rather than transiting through another European country. Bags are more likely to be misplaced when multiple flights into multiple countries with more than 1 carrier are involved. Recent photos of piles of delayed luggage at Heathrow have convinced me that there really is a place where suitcases go to die.

Arrive a couple of days early to avoid missing a cruise or important event.

If arriving before a cruise, cooking week, wedding, or other important event, plan to come a couple of days early. Travel insurance can help cover the costs of a delay, but not the heartbreak of missing a big event!

A classic Tuscan landscape, near Pienza.

Pack light and do only carry on if at all possible. If it is necessary to check a bag, then a carry-on bag with essentials (as always - medications, jewelry, makeup etc) should come along and carry a change or two of clothing and perhaps an extra pair of shoes. Leave non-essentials at home. The space a couple of books take in a carry-on is better used for clothing! Keep a record of what is in each bag and be able to provide a complete description of a bag that goes missing. Also hang on to boarding passes as they can be needed if claiming compensation for lost or delayed baggage.

Travel may be a bit complicated these days, but it is worth the effort ! Rome awaits.

Be sure to sign up for notifications from the airlines and use wifi on board the flight (even if it costs) to follow the next legs of travel. Much better to know as far in advance as possible if the next flight is delayed or canceled. When my daughter’s flight from Frankfurt to Pisa was canceled she was in the air and without wifi. I saw the cancelation because I was tracking her flights (with the Flight View app) from my home in Italy. I was able to book her a hotel in Frankfurt and rearrange her flights even before she landed. Meanwhile, I could not reach her to let her know about the changes, or ask for her preferences, and no announcements were made during her flight. Not until she landed and checked the departure board did she see the cancelation. By that time the lines at the service counters were long and chaotic. Luckily, she got my text once she had access to airport wifi. She could skip those long lines to rebook and the search for a hotel as I had been able to arrange them before she even knew there was a problem. But not every traveler has a mamma in Italy, so best to be able to check for one’s self throughout the journey.

If cancelation or lost luggage is your fate, start collecting the documentation needed to file claims right away. This includes: proof of the cancelation (a screen shot of the itinerary showing the cancelation or even of the departure board), receipts for hotel stays and meals, receipts for the purchase of personal items and clothing required due to lost or delayed bags. Keep everything! Losses may be covered by the airlines (not guaranteed depending on circumstances), trip insurance, or credit card benefits.

prosciutto and melon - tastes like summer in Italy!

My return flights to the US last week went a bit more smoothly. But check-in took longer than normal in Florence, leaving no time for a coffee stop much less a bite to eat, between check in and boarding (not ideal with a 6:20 am flight, pack snacks). We were delayed an hour out of Frankfurt. That flight was packed. Arrival in Denver was a madhouse, with a need to go back through a very long security line and then a mad dash to our final connection just in time to board. Not even time for a bathroom break !

Please remember to be kind to flight attendants and airport staff. They are the ones working hard, despite all the challenges, and aren’t personally to blame for current issues. Truthfully, I was embarrassed by some of the rude passengers on my flights. A simple please and thank you goes a long way!

Come to Italy and take a selfie ! Despite delays and lost luggage my crew had a wonderful Italian vacation.

The good news is that between the crazy arrival flights and the stressful return flights, Italy provided a wonderful vacation. My daughter and two oldest grandkids, ages 13 and 16, are great travelers. They weathered the chaos of travel without missing a beat and arrived determined to not let delays and missing baggage ruin their enjoyment of Italy (and two of them now have new Italian wardrobes). Attitude really is the key to surviving this year’s challenging travel situation. They loved Lucca, Rapallo and the Portofino Peninsula, a day trip to Genoa, and 4 days in the Cinque Terre. Lots of blog posts to come about these wonderful places to visit!

A Quirky Attraction in Parma - The Puppet Museum

There is so much to like about Parma, Italy. Let’s start with the food - Parmigiana, Prosciutto di Parma, all those filled pastas. Lambrusco wine. There are wonderful piazzas to enjoy, a gorgeous city park, the Palazzo Pilotta with its group of fabulous museums. My guidebooks listed a host of “must-sees”. However, one of my first stops in Parma was to an off-the-beaten path rather quirky place that was not listed in any of my guidebooks - Il Castello dei Burattini Museo Giordano Ferrari (The Castle of the Puppets, Museum Giordano Ferrari). Sometimes, the less known little places are the most enchanting. And enchanted is just how this small museum feels.

Puppetry was a popular theater format in the days before radio, TV, and movies. Puppets existed as far back as Ancient Greece and Rome. Throughout Italy the golden age for puppet theater was the 18th and 19th centuries. The burattini (or pupi) were used to tell stories ranging from religious to tragic to comedic. Performances included opera and Shakespeare and even some fairly scandalous content. Puppet theatre was enjoyed across social classes and age groups. A visit to the Castello dei Burattini makes this history come alive.

The museum’s collection includes carved puppet heads, marionettes (puppets controlled by strings or rods), and hand puppets. They range from very old to modern muppet-like characters.

All the typical characters from Italian puppet theater are represented in the Castello dei Burattini - princes and princesses, villains, devils (there were lots of devils!), ghosts, monsters, servants, merchants, workers, society gents and ladies, priests, and policeman. There are knights in armor and sultans and animals. The faces are amazingly expressive and the elaborate costumes are fascinating.

The collection showcases the work of the Ferrari Company, a multi-generational puppeteering family from this area. Their involvement with puppets goes back to the late 1800’s and continues today. In addition to being a professional puppeteer, Giordano Ferrari collected the stories of puppet theaters throughout Italy and amassed this vast collection of burattini. Eventually, the city of Parma acquired the collection and, in 2002, the museum was established.

In addition to the puppets, the displays also include video presentations of puppet shows, fabulous old posters advertising the shows, scripts for the performances and - from time to time - live puppet shows which delight the many children who attend and their parents (along with the occasional tourist).

Admission to the museum is free. The enchantment is worth a lot!

Castello dei Burattini. Strada Macedonio Melloni 3 VA, Parma

website: www.castellodeiburattini.it

Lake Massaciuccoli in Tuscany

When picturing Tuscany - beautiful cities, art, fabulous food, rolling hillsides, umbrella pines and Cypress trees - it’s easy to forget the area is also home to coastline, lakes, and nature preserves. Recently, I was able to visit one of these lakes with a small group of students and teachers from Lucca Italian School. This was a different slice of Tuscany, and one well worth visiting.

Along the eastern shore of Lago Massaciuccoli

First, a bit of history. Once upon a time, the areas of coastal Tuscany, including Lucca, contained large areas of marshland. Teeming with wildlife, these areas frequently flooded, causing problems for nearby cities (damage, mosquitoes, malaria). Eventually, many of the wetland areas disappeared, some naturally and others drained in the name of creating more livable environments for humans and a greater productive land mass.

Late afternoon sun on Lake Massaciuccoli

Today the largest remaining wetland in Tuscany is Lago Massaciuccoli (a bit of a tongue twister, pronounced Mass-a-choo-co-li).  It lies about 12 miles (18 km) from Lucca, an easy 35-minute car ride.  There is also a bike path that begins just outside Lucca and goes all the way to the lake.  Lake Massaciuccoli is also connected by a series of canals to nearby Viareggio and can be reached by bike path from that city as well.

Lake Massaciuccoli has two very different shores. On the west, closest to Viareggio, lies the town of Torre del Lago. Here, in a beautiful lakeside villa, Puccini wrote many of his famous operas and also hunted in the areas around the lake. Here, too, is the Teatro Puccini, home to the Puccini Opera festival. This is the “civilized” more urban part of the lake. On this visit I skipped the western shore and headed straight to the “wild side” on the eastern shore

The entrance to the Oasi LIPU wetlands at Lake Massaciuccoli

​On the eastern shore, by the tiny town of Massaciuccoli, lies the Oasi LIPU protected wetlands, a wild bird sanctuary. The edges of the lake, full of marshes with tall reeds, are crossed by wooden boardwalks that skim just above the water and have small observation blinds at key points, allowing visitors to watch the wildlife while hidden from view.  Staying still, quiet, and out of sight allows for great bird watching.

The boardwalk path through the marshes

There are informative signs about wildlife and flora posted along the boardwalk and in the observation points. Also offered are guided bird-watching expeditions and various types of boating expeditions (canoe, kayak, and larger tourist boats). This is a great place to sit with a pair of binoculars, walk along the boardwalks, listen to the sounds of bird calls, or peer into the shallow waters to see what lies beneath.

Literally a bird’s-eye view

This peaceful place provides a nice side trip from nearby cities, a chance to experience the “wild” side of Tuscany, and an easy walk along the boardwalk.  I visited in mid-March when plants were still in winter mode, the dried stalks of last summer’s flowers had a beauty all their own.

Late winter in the wetlands of Lake Massaciuccoli

 A stop in the town of Massaciuccoli provides a good spot for a coffee, lunch, or a glass of wine post exploration. There is also a nearby  archeological site - but that’s a topic for another post. -post by JMB

A Child's Eye View of Lucca

Colorful balloons for sale in Piazza San Michele.

When I think of Lucca I picture medieval streets, renaissance walls, lovely gardens, music and fabulous food. Not so my 6-year-old friend Edie, who visited me in Lucca recently, along with her mom, Holly, and great aunt Pat. She gave me a whole new perspective - Lucca looks different when seen through a child's eyes.

At 6, Edie is already a good traveler. She likes the overnight flight, doesn't seem to suffer much from jet lag, and sleeps like a baby despite the time change - which made the adults in our group quite envious. She likes the outdoors and Lucca offers a lot of outdoor activities, making it a great destination when traveling with children.  She enjoyed discovering succulents growing along the wall (she recognized these from home), smelling the roses in the gardens at Palazzo Pfanner, and was delighted to find that Italy has some interesting bugs (though not spiders - she didn't care for those).

Here are some fun activities for young kids visiting Lucca (all come with Edie's endorsement) :

Photo courtesy of H. Baker

Ride the carousel. This was definitely a highlight though it took some thought for my young friend to pick which animal she wanted to ride. In fact, she needed several attempts to try out the different options. Smart girl!

Edie and me, exploring plant life on the walls. Photo courtesy of H. Baker

Explore. Together we found "secret" spots all along the walls. Spots with huge rocks to climb, wild buttercups to smell, bugs to investigate, steps to climb, and statues to see. The wide grassy areas on the wall are great spots for running or playing games. Don't forget to look up - especially at the statue of the Archangel Michael atop the Basilica of San Michele, which Edie said was her favorite in all of Lucca. All this outdoor activity may explain why Edie slept so well! 

Sottosopra (upside down)

Find the playgrounds and let the kids climb, swing, and tumble. There are several playgrounds on the wide areas of the wall in Lucca and some down in the town as well. Edie tried out most of them and gave them her kid-tested seal of approval.

Drink a milkshake. Or two or three. Italian milkshakes are quite different from American ones - less ice-creamy and more frothy, like a frappe. Flavored with vanilla, these were a real kid treat. Pretty good for grown-ups too.

Eat foccacia. This may have been Edie's favorite food in Lucca, and who can blame her? It's one of my favorites too. 

The walls are the perfect bike path. Photo courtesy of P. Baker

Bike the walls. This is a great family activity, even if the adults do most of the work!  There are all types of bikes for rent - everything from two- or four-person surreys to tandem bikes and single bikes in adult and child sizes. Rent by the hour, half-day, or full day. When Edie's legs get longer we'll let her do the pedaling and she can go as fast as she'd like!

Do some shopping. Children love having some of their own money to shop for gifts to take home to grandparents or friends. Putting thought into picking out just the right gift is a valuable life lesson too. 

Some of Lucca's beautiful door knockers. Photos by E. Baker and H. Baker

Take photos. Give a kid a digital camera and set them loose to take their own pictures - it's a great vacation activity and helps create wonderful memories. Edie especially enjoyed taking pictures of flowers and all the beautiful door knockers in Lucca. I think her mom liked those door knockers too! Edie used her mom's camera, but I suspect her very own will make a good gift before her next trip. 

Take a day trip to Pisa. This is especially fun for kids if they get to take the train from Lucca to Pisa, see the famous leaning tower, hear the music echo in the Baptistery, grab lunch in Pisa, and then take the train back to Lucca. This makes a perfect day trip and what child wouldn't like a photo of themselves next to the leaning tower as a reminder of their trip?

Edie and her mom, Holly, in a famous spot. Photo courtesy of P.Baker.

When traveling with a small child it's important to plan kid-size activities, shorten visits to places like museums and churches, and add in lots of breaks for active play time. It also helps to be based in a smaller, less chaotic city like Lucca. Having an apartment is a good strategy too  - it gives everyone room to breathe, accommodates child bedtimes, allows for some meals at home rather than always eating out, and gives a child a space they can settle into. Having a flexible agenda is key, as is planning some time for the parents to get out on their own for some grown-up exploring. Then relax and enjoy the view through a child's eyes.                           -post by JB