Italy - Verona

http://portale.comune.verona.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1

When we go to Vicenza, Verona is the airport we fly in and out of. It was also the first place that anyone took me, and it was one of the few places where my mother came along. (She usually stayed with my aunt.)

One of the attractions there is L'Arena, an old Roman arena. There are tours, and they have people dressed as gladiators to draw you in, but they also still use it for shows. I believe the upcoming events when we were there included Bruce Springsteen, but they also have operas. One of my other aunts has very fond memories of taking the train to the opera there, and everyone would be holding candles so there were little lights all around the theater.

After coming back I ordered some DVDs of operas from there for my mother, and they show the audience with the candles, so they still do that, but also there is a park nearby, Piazza Bra, and they show the fountain there, which we saw together, so those videos are one of the best ways of making her homesick.

I wish I had a picture of the fountain, but I can't find all of my photos from then. There is also a plaque listing Verona as a Unesco World Heritage site for all of the history there.

In the pictures above you see the arena, the piazza, and also the town hall, which is the Palazzo Barbieri.

Like every town in Italy, there are many churches. We visited Sant'Anastasia.

You may notice that arch has what appears to be a tomb under it, and think that would be Anastasia's tomb. It is actually the tomb of Guglielmo di Castelbarco, a podestà of Verona, which would be something like a chief magistrate. This practice of building arches that become your tomb would become more popular, with the Scaliger Tombs later being built at Santa Maria Antica, but Guglielmo was an early adopter.

It is a really beautiful city, with a mix of Roman, Gothic, and Romanesque buildings. The Adige River runs past, and occasionally floods, but is also the location of two beautiful bridges, the Ponte Pietra and the Ponte Scaligero (also known as the Ponte di Castel Vecchio).

One of the more random things we saw while we were there was a parade of cooks. I had gotten the impression that they were graduating from a cooking school, but when I search on cooking school I just find ones designed for tourists, not for training actual chefs.

It may seem like I am missing some key attractions, but I will try and get to those next week.

Italy - Padova

http://www.padovanet.it/index.jsp

I wanted to do a brief note on the names. Often the American versions of the names are different, and for me it is the one I have heard most that feels right. I do use Italy and Venice over Italia and Venezia, because I heard those a lot. I am fine with Florence over Firenze. However, when I was in junior high I had a pen pal in Padova, and Padua will always sound wrong to me. I don't know of another name for Este, and for some of the other places that will also be the case, but if there is a more traditional name I will try and mention it.

Padova claims to be the oldest city in Northern Italy, tradition dating it back to 1183 BC. That may just be tradition, but the thing with Italy is that there are many very old things, and there are layers of antiquity. So there was a castle in Este after the tenth century, but what you are seeing only goes back to the 13th. Vicenza does not go back to the Romans, but there is a wall in the city that does.

Padova in fact was a Roman city at one point, but I think the thing that amazes me the most is knowing that Galileo lectured at the University.

We started at the Basilica di Sant'Antonio da Padova, observing a mass that was full of worshipers. The city was quite crowded that day. Among other things, there was a reunion of the Alpini going on. (The Alpini are an elite Army corps. At least in the North they hold and important emotional place, maybe similar to the Green Berets.)

We then walked to the Prato delle Valle. I found it stunning.

It is a green space surrounded by water, and there is a double ring of statues. There are 78 total, and they are reflected in the water, and you really don't know where to look, or how to take a picture that gives the full impression. I ended up giving up on that, and just photographing partial expressions.

It is there that you begin to realize how beautiful the city is architecturally, because as you walk around it you have all of these scenic views. There is a great view of not just St. Anthony's Basilica (yes, I Anglicized it that time), but also of St. Giustina's, and everything else. Most of these pictures were taken walking around Il Prato.

You should notice an abundance of arches, mainly Roman but also some more Gothic. I believe that's the Venetian influence. So you see all of these arched galleries (I believe the proper term is loggia) extending along the buildings in every direction, and it stays with you.

The other thing I should mention is that I don't have a great picture of it, but that equestrian statue at the top is by Donatello. The other famous art name for Padova is Giotto, who did some frescoes for Scrovegni Chapel. I guess it is possible to see them, but it is a difficult process because they are sealed in for preservation.

Really, the best way to see Padova is probably walking around Il Prato. There is so much to look at, functioning as monument and park, that it is somewhat similar to the Tidal Basin in Washington DC, but it's more central to the city. People gravitate around there, and you can be part of that.

Italy - Este Castle

 

http://www.padovamedievale.it/info/este/en

In the past "Este" had come up often in crosswords as a prominent Italian family. I tended to think of them as similar to the Medici, but with a more convenient name for puzzle makers.

It's a little more complicated than that. There is an Este family, but if you look at their history it seems to be less Italian and more Frankish. Looking at the landmarks in Este the town, and their history, a lot of Austrian names come up. That is not that surprising - European borders and history are messy.

Even if you do an internet search for Este Castle, which seemed like a reasonable search, the first result is a castle in Ferrara, which is about 60 kilometers away.

So, the place I went is the castle at Este, near Padova (we went to both Este and Padova that day).

It was built by Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, who named himself after it, so the place was already Este. After him the house split into two branches, possibly because it went through sons from different marriages, but one of those branches changed their capital to Ferrara, and thus you get the other castle, which I have not seen, but they should be easy to tell apart because the other one is moated.

Castle history can be complicated too. For example, the Margrave who I said built this castle lived from 996-1097, which makes it sound like the castle should be from that time period. Well, the original building is, but that was destroyed, and it had been built upon previous fortifications as well. The current building is from the 1340s, but that had been the castle site and the fort site for centuries before.

Currently the space within the walls is a public garden, and that's what we explored. There were flowers, fountains, paths, and statuary, and I think I remember a play structure too. It's a nice place for families to spend time, and the ice cream shop across from the one entrance probably doesn't hurt.

This was all we saw, but there are other attractions. There is a small palace that houses a museum now, and the Villa Contarini is known for its frescoes and garden. It also may be haunted by a Prussian count whose love was not reciprocated.

http://vignacontarena.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g666405-d246561-Reviews-Museo_Nazionale_Atestino-Este_Province_of_Padua_Veneto.html

I do not have a villa in Italy

It was something I thought about though.

My mother, brother, and older sister went to Italy (with my father) after Mom's mother died. That was in 1968. Then, travel being expensive, no one went again until the '90s, when my mother and my younger sisters went twice. I was putting all of my money into college at that time, so I did not go.

Time passed, and I took trips there with my mother, in 2006 and 2008.

It was a revelation meeting my Italian family. They were so warm and caring and I thought about how nice it would be if we could all be there together.

It would also be far too much to ask anyone to take seven Americans at once, and even splitting us up among the different households would be a lot of imposition. A hotel would be very expensive, but then I thought maybe if I got really financially successful, I could buy a villa there as a rental property, so maybe it would pay for itself with the renters.

There were other problems with that plan beyond how long it has taken for me to become financially successful. The taxes would probably be high, and certainly be complicated. Also, people always think of villas in Tuscany. We would be in Vicenza, which is not a destination.

At the same time, it's a good place to be. I thought perhaps I could target architectural students, because Palladio, a very famous architect who was an influence on Thomas Jefferson (among others). There are many buildings in the city done by him, and then you are near Venice, which has its own distinct architectural style.

That is another key thing: there are many good day trips available from Vicenza. We are close to Venice, Verona, Padova, and many other places. There are things to see.

Still, the idea probably wasn't marketable. Students are becoming more financially strapped all the time, and architecture is a grueling major.

Things aren't the same in Italy either. Since 2008, five of my aunts and uncles have died. That leaves just my mother's oldest sister, and then three of the widowed spouses. No one is young.

But there are also their children. My cousins are great. And I have been back their with Mom to meet my brother and his wife. There is still family togetherness there, even if not the way I envisioned it.

So the plans for the villa are off, but the desire to spend time in Italy never will be. My younger sisters and I very much want to get a little West and South, to see Florence and Rome, and we don't know when that will happen, but we keep it in mind.

The next few weeks will be highlighting things from Italy. Sadly, the first trip, where I saw the most places, is also the one where I was traveling with a disposable camera. The photos will not be great. It is still a delightful place.

Portland Art Museum - Italian Style, Fashion Since 1945

I recently attended a fashion exhibit at the Portland Art Museum.

You enter with models on a catwalk, a display frozen in place.

This vivid example of draping - an evening dress by Roberto Capucci - has been highly featured in the ads for the exhibit. It is dramatic, but I think it would be very inconvenient to wear. I found some of the nearby dresses much more beautiful.

As you move through the exhibit, you learn more about how the fashion industry was revitalized after World War II, largely through the efforts of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, who began organizing fashion shows at the Palazzo Pitti.

Part of the different phases shown include the industry's impact on the film industry, along with some costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn. She wore the ball gown in her role as Natasha Rostova in the 1956 version of War and Peace.

There was a section on prints, which are often not my favorite, but this Pucci bathing suit coverup was adorable.

They had display items covering many different aspects of fashion...

I particularly liked this men's suit from the early '80s. I can totally picture John Taylor wearing it.

They also had some examples of use of leather, which went well with the video presentation on the future of Italian fashion. In some cases it is difficult to get people trained in the necessary skills.

By the end, you are convinced that it is something worth preserving.

The exhibit ends tomorrow, May 3rd, so if you wish to see it for yourself you will need to hurry.


http://portlandartmuseum.org/italianstyle/

Disney California Adventure - Grizzly River Run

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disney-california-adventure/grizzly-river-run/

We generally take a very complete approach to rides. At the start of the trip we pick up park maps and check off the attractions we visit, making sure to get them all. Even where there are some that we like less, we have at least tried them, and will sometimes try them again just to make sure we were right.

Despite that, there is one ride that my sisters have never been on, and I had only been on once before this trip. That ride is the Grizzly River Run.

I liked it just fine when I tried it, but you get really wet. That's why my sisters haven't ridden it. They always give in and ride Splash Mountain, despite their misgivings, but there are two differences: Splash Mountain has cute animatronic animals, and you usually don't get soaked.

Splash Mountain will usually get you a little wet, and depending on the water level and how you hit some of the curves, you can get really wet, but there is at least room for hope that you won't get soaked. With Grizzly River Run, there is no hope.

I'm not exactly shy about getting wet, but then your shoes are squelching for the rest of the day, and your socks are riding up, and if your wearing jeans, wet denim is a hassle. Plus, as the only one who is willing to ride it, that is somewhat discouraging, but I really wanted to ride it again.

In a different theme park, many years ago, I rode the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios. My sisters had ridden it on a different trip, without me, and did not want to ride it again, because they got soaked. They were going to wait for me, but they were not getting on. In line, I noticed vending machines with ponchos, and got one of those. When I caught up with my sisters, they did not believe I had been on it yet, because I was so dry. Talking to other people in the Backdraft attraction, who had just been on Jurassic Park also, one of them pointed to their party and said "Drowned rat", then at me and said "Not drowned rat."

So when I started thinking about getting soaked, I remembered how well the poncho worked. I had an emergency poncho that had been hanging out in my purse for five years without an emergency; perhaps this would be a good non-emergency use.

That would only protect the shirt and part of the pants, but now I was being strategic. Not wearing jeans was pretty easy to manage, but what about shoes? Well, I also had an old pair of flip flops from 2008 (Maria had bought them in Australia, and then I inherited them) and they had seen better days. I would have them in my purse, change into them for the ride, and let my prissy sisters watch my shoes.

It worked pretty well. Since my pants are black, you can't see how wet they are. The answer is pretty wet. However, that dried easily, I changed back into my sneakers, and was basically no worse for wear. The other obvious question is whether there was a point.

That's harder to answer. For me, just getting back on the ride after so long was something I wanted to do, and it gave good use to the emergency poncho and slippers, but the ride itself is not terribly exciting. The whole point of the ride is to get wet. Little kids love it. I was riding with a man and his two young sons, and the boys were thrilled. They rushed right back into line to ride it again. Okay, they are decades younger, maybe it's more of a thrill. It can be fun, but it's not fun the way the Matterhorn is.

(To be fair, the Jurassic Park ride was pretty disappointing too. I felt like there should be a lot more dinosaurs.)

One thing worth noting, if you are staying at the Grand Californian, the entrance is right nearby, and that probably makes things easier.

Disneyland - Guest Satisfaction

I'm pretty close to winding up this trip to Disneyland.

The last post focused on the Disney commitment to a good guest experience by looking for ways to update and improve rides, but there is more to the park than rides. Fast passes and some of the new wristband functions that they are doing in Disneyworld are a part of that too. The fact that the food is so good, which came up in some of the dining posts, is part of that. Today's post is about three different little things that go along with that.

One happened in the Magic Kingdom, and I don't have a picture for it. We went on Star Tours, which is kind of a good example anyway, when they shot new footage and started mixing it up so that you don't know how the ride will go. One thing that is for certain, though, is that they will tell you that you have a rebel spy on board, and escaping the arrest of that spy is what sets the adventure off.

Years ago I went on the Star Trek simulation ride in Las Vegas that was similar to this. There was an ancestor of someone from the next generation on board (I think Picard, but it was Riker who was filmed as the person talking to you), but they didn't show you a picture, so it could be anyone on board, even you.

That might seem like it's more inclusive, but it's also less interesting. Star Tours shows you which passenger it is. On our ride, it was Maria.

That's only one person, but most people are in groups, so there are more people that are affected by it. Personally, I thought it was hilarious, especially because when they took the picture Maria must have just been looking down, but it looked like she was sleeping. The rebel alliance is in good hands.

Having been on the ride when it wasn't one of us, I never felt like it was non-inclusive, so not being connected to the spy is not alienating, but there is the chance of being connected, which is pretty cool. It's a nice bonus feature.

Also a nice bonus feature was one cast member giving me a Mickey Mouse sticker as I was walking in California Adventure, near the Little Mermaid ride. It seemed pretty random, but there was a little boost in the day that was unexpected.

As you  can see, I am sticking to their terminology of guests and cast members, because you can say customers and employees, and it would be true, but I think that the fact that they use those specific words helps them get in the mindset that they want, and it's effective. They do a good job.

A lot of that job isn't necessarily seen. We didn't know how wearing the birthday buttons would work until we did it. I never knew that you might randomly get a sticker until it happened. I wasn't shocked, but I didn't know. So, having stood in lines for pretty much every ride multiple times, there was something else I didn't know about, until it happened.

We got in line for Soarin' Over California, and a cast member handed me a card on a lanyard and asked me to turn it in at the head of the line. You know those signs telling you how long the wait for a ride is? Those are not guesses. On a regular basis they are timing it and updating.

It's cool that they do all that, and it's cool to get a peek at how it happens.

I love Disneyland.