2007- Vienna!

What a difference a 2-hour flight makes!  Milan to Vienna on Ryan Air ($C.20. including taxes!) we went from plus-15 degrees in Tuscany in mid-November and straight into a heavy, wet snow storm.....after a hairy shuttle bus ride from Bratislava, we were so grateful to see the smiling faces of friends Maria and Andres.....and the start of some excellent eating!  Check out the Sacher Torte which Maria made for us!!We enjoyed such a great 3 days of touring, courtesy of Maria, Andres and Horst.  Early the first day, we walked through a sunny, white winter's day to the Gloriette restaurant an enjoyed breakfast in the Hapsburg's Schonbrunn Summer Palace retreat, which you can see at the top of the photo.

 Cathedrals abound in Vienna: the two we saw was the famous St Stephen's gothic-style Cathedral as well as the St Charles Church, quite a bit more modern.  We also went to a fascinating display of many crypts of the Hapsberg family...concluding with the one housing Archduke Ferdinand, who was assisinated in 1914.  He was the last of the Hapsbergs who had ruled a large part of Europe for 700 years.

A highlight for Linda and I was  our visit to the Central Cemetery, at 1.5 million internments, the largest cemetery in the world.  Here you "see" our beloved Beethoven, presiding over the musicians section, probably leading them in one of his symphonies!

Pre- Christmas festivities were getting into full swing and we loved our visit to the Christkindinmarkt hosted by Viennna's City Hall....arts and crafts, mulled wine, Potato Jim's (!!) children's activities including cookie making and wreath making contests.  It was such a festive atmosphere and one of our best memories was chatting with 3 United Nations people from various parts of the world over a mulled wine! Vienna is truly and international city.

The biggest thrill for Linda and I was hearing the Vienna Boys Choir sing at the Hapsberg Family Chapel in the Winter Palace which we had toured earlier.   The glorious sweet voices singing "Hayden's Paukenmesse" in this acoustically-perfect chapel  was unforgettable!  To celebrate our visit, we were taken out to a fabulous restaurant on the outskirts of Vienna, Marchfelderhof.  Previous famous visitors included Elizabeth Taylor and Joe Cocker who must have been just as WOWED as we were by the multitude of eccentric and odd decorations as we were.  Here you see us all enjoying scrumptious German-style fare and the Candian flag which Linda and I signed, adding Montreal and PEI to the other Candadians who had visited!
Ah, so saddened to be flying back after such a great 6 week journey.....London, the UK and Scotland with Robert, then Paris and Belgium with Linda and Gerdien, and now Tuscany and Vienna with Linda.  Thank you, dear travel companions, for sharing this memorable trip with me!!

2007- Tuscany...Take me back NOW to Tuscany!!

Ah, Tuscany, Italia!!! So gorgeous and warming!  Linda and I fell in love with the scenery, the people, the food, the wine of Tuscany....for 2 weeks we toured from our  villa near Siena, visiting hilltop towns as well as 2 days in each city of Siena and Florence.  After a day of touring (being chased by the madly-off-in-all-directions Italian drivers!) we picked up fresh vegies, pasta and fruit, a bottle of local Chianti and relaxed as we cooked up our dinners.   Wonderful to feel so at home in Italy as you can see from this picture of our villa nestled high among the vinyards! 

Lucca and Pisa were our first stops.....and we ogled the Leaning Tower of Pisa like proper tourists.   Then over to Lucca where we lucked into the festivities of the all Saints weekend, complete with a market in the ancient Roman theater and street plays....wonderful fun!

And what can be said about the numerous hilltop towns of Tuscany?  Here you see San Gimignano, another of the 40 Italian UNESCO World Heritage sites with Sue grinning happily from the walled ramparts.    Every day we explored one or two of these gems:  Volterra and Montereggioni, then Cortona and Arezzo, Pienza (UNESCO site) and Montepulciano,  another day to Montulcino and Assissi.  We would park outside the walls, then walk the narrow pedestrian-friendly streets, coming across museums, artisans, picture-perfect views across the Chianti hills.  One special day we just drove up to Castelina en Chiantia and Radda in Chianti, weaving in and out of the hills, finally stopping when we spotted a wine-tasting operation.....great time checking out the old processes of making the chinati wine!

Of course, the highlight had to be our 2 days in Siena, a UNESCO site recognized for its historical heritage, walking from one end ot the other, always gravitating back to the huge piazza. We joined in with everyone who sunned themselves on the 800 year old paving stones...and yes! had leisurely pasta lunches with red wine while viewing the Palazzo Pubblico's tower opposite us and the Gaia Fountain beside us. This is where the annual horse race takes place....sister Judy saw this exciting event last year!

Florence....city of the angels and full of beautiful art treasures. From Bruneschelli's Duomo and Giberti's Bronze doors of the Battistery to the gems of the Uffizzi Museum (book ahead!!) to Pont Vecchio , it is information overload.....every guide book gushes about the numerous wonders of Florence and nothing does it justice!  It is so beautiful, even considering the many street hawkers which ambush you at every step of the way.....it is even worse than Xi'An's terra cotta warriors exhibit in China!  As you stroll throught the Piazza dela Signoria and gaze on the David,  Hercules, Medusa and the other logia statues, you know you are in heaven, fake though some of them may be!!!

Did I take a few pictures.....you bet!!  And I look at them regularly and yearn to go back soon to Italy!!

So why is this titled "Take me back NOW to Tuscany"? It is late October 2009, finally getting to this last post from 2 years ago and the cold drizzle outside my beautiful Island home is too much of a contrast to "Under the Tuscan Sun"!!

2007- We 3 Singing Montreal "Sisters", re-united in Belgium!

Well!  Here's a change of scene!  After an amazing (very expensive.....book ahead, not last minute, fellow travellers) Eurostar trip from Waterloo Station in London over to Brussels,  3 alto Stewart Hall Singers from Montreal re-united.  Linda and I enjoyed the warm and welcoming Belgium hospitality of friends Gerdien and Chris for several days, then we three Singers were off for France.  The Vimy Ridge memorial was exceptional and very moving with thousands of Canadian names inscribed on the foundation, reminding us of the fallen dead in 1917 while taking this critical ridge during WW1. Later we drove to Giverny and totally enjoyed Monet's home and gardens.  Though all original artwork are in museums around the world, just to experience the atmosphere of where this great painter lived and worked....and yes!  the Pont Japonais and lily pond are very impressive.  Here we are standing on the bridge looking very pleased with ourselves. Linda, Gerdien and I then scooted down to Chartres Cathedral, lucking into the sunset lighting up the Rose window and a full Mass starting.  What could be more sublime that singing holy music in this 800 year-old architectural wonder?  We were transported with the angels!  After Gerdien dropped us off near Paris, Linda and I spent 2 great days really being tourists:  hop on/ hop off bus tours, drinking wine in cafes, listening to buskers in the Monmartre Artisan area,  oogling the Loevres Museum and Musee d'Orsay ( and their immense line-ups....must pre-buy tickets next visit to Paris!)  This is definitely a city which needs to be taken in again....and again....and again.   A highlight was our walk along the Seine, buying goodies from the vendors and then touring about Notre Dame Cathedral.  As a side note, whilst cheering on the Tour de France bike race I loved seeing Paris again during their final laps.....I was there!