Month: July 2021

As a general rule I do not like layovers in airports.  If there is no direct flight to where I want to go, I like to plan a few days in the location of the connecting city, especially if it is a place I have never been. Portugal was a place I had not visited. The return flight had us stopping there. I thought it would be a good way to end our summer trip visiting relatives in Europe. It was made a little more complicated because of covid and the ever changing rules. We did not have much time so I contacted Portugal Magik. Gonzalo (the founder of the company) worked with me to set up the trip and help us understand the covid-19 travel rules. He hooked us up with an excellent driver, named Diogo, who also served as our tour guide. His command of English made communication easy. His knowledge of his native country’s history and culture made the stop one to remember. I had heard Portugal had a lot to offer and it certainly delivered. It is a small country rich in history and known for its food. Diogo was able to take us to some of his favorite places in the short time that we had and we savored some of the country’s culinary delights and learned much more and wasted less time than we would have if we had done the planning ourselves. We stayed in Hotel Fortaleza do Guincho for two nights; a converted seaside fort that has a Michelin star rated restaurant on the property. We arrived late and took advantage of this on the first evening. Even though the star rated restaurant was officially closed because of the pandemic, the same people prepared our meal that would have if it were open. It was delightful. So was breakfast on the following two mornings. Portugal is known for its seafood, a favorite of ours, and every dish we had was fresh and delicious. It was worth the stop for the food and the hospitality. I hope to see more of this lovely little country in the future. For some photos from this short stay click here.

We were supposed to be in Tuscany for Easter, but Italy had not yet opened to tourists. Fortunately, Erin and Pat know the owners of Villa Nobile and were able to re-book for early July. It turns out that we were the first guests they have had since the covid pandemic began. One of the first places it hit hard outside of China was Italy. This was most certainly a healthcare crisis and a global emergency. To get things back on track and save lives, drastic measures had to be taken. As is typically the case, these measures have different impacts on different sectors of the population. Many people in Italy depend on tourism for their livelihoods. This was the case with our driver in Tuscany, a man named David. In his own words, David said he has a passion for his job. He likes meeting new people and helping them enjoy his homeland; sharing his knowledge of his country’s rich history and culture with people from other lands. He says, with sincerity, that he especially likes working with people from the U.S. and credits the soldiers of WWII, many of whom lost their lives, with getting the Nazis out of Italy. This feeling seems to be real and shared by many that we spoke to in the country. There is some optimism in the travel industry in Italy that a return to better times is just around the corner. We hope so! David said the last two years have been really tough. He is eager to get back to work. 

He is not the only one. Eileen, the manager of the Villa, the grounds keeper, and the housekeeper, all seemed pleased to have visitors again. They welcomed us and we appreciated all they did to make our stay in their Tuscan villa beside the town of Montepulciano so pleasant. The pool was refreshing, the house spacious and comfortable, the food wherever we went was tasty, the wineries were beautiful and the people were so happy to see us. They all shared similar thoughts; that Tuscany without the tourists is not the same. Villa Nobile was the perfect place to share time with family and use as a base to explore the region. The older grandkids enjoyed a long day hiking the Cinque Terre coast with their parents, and Erin and Pat; while my wife and I played soccer and swam with the younger two back at the villa. Other excursions took people to Florence (which Italians call Firenze), Pisa, and the many churches of Tuscany and Umbria. (The picture above is of San Biagio as the sun crept over the mountains, just below the walled village of Montepulciano. It is just a few minutes walk from Villa Nobile.) Erin’s sister and her husband (his first trip to Italy) rounded out the group of guests at the villa and made the gathering of family complete.

We took recommendations on what wineries to visit from relatives and friends before we left the States, as well as from Eileen. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. We bought bottles from every place we visited to bring back to the villa to share, and we shipped some home, to give as gifts and to save for special occasions. We didn’t always agree on the wines we liked best, but we did agree that Tuscany produces some excellent wines; mostly made from the Sangiovese grape. The microclimates and variety in soils, as well as the variety in winemaking practices, help to bring each vineyard distinct flavors in their wines. Two of my favorites on this trip were Tenuta Torciano, in the San Gimignano region, and Podere Le Ripi, in Montalcino. Every place we visited gave us something different to enjoy.

We thank everyone who helped us on this part of the journey in Italy. I didn’t see it all, but will try to return again. For those that enjoy sunsets, landscapes, and welcoming people, I highly recommend a Tuscan Villa stay. My wife and I were sad to leave, especially since we don’t know exactly when we will see this group again. We must thank especially Erin and Pat for their generosity and for arranging this gathering and including us. For more pictures, click here.

Our hosts, Erin and Pat, had not seen their grandchildren in about ten months. This was the longest stretch, by far, that they had ever gone. Certainly something that they hope not to repeat again. We drove north (with our driver) as our grandkids drove south with their mom (our daughter) and dad (Erin and Pat’s son). It was a long journey for them from Paris to Rome, but they did take some time to sightsee in Switzerland and northern Italy.

Erin had booked a large apartment for all of us in the center of the historic part of town. It was just the right place, within walking distance of all the places they had scheduled to visit for the next few days. She also had booked a local guide, named Enzo, who made the trip outstanding for all of us, but especially for the older grandchildren as they were able to take in with their eyes and engage with the guide as they experienced it. I was amazed at what the kids already knew about ancient Rome from their school history classes and the supplementary reading they had done before the trip. We were among the first American tourists to be able to see the sights since the start of the pandemic. Our guide had not been able to lead a tour in almost two years. He was happy to have the opportunity and we enjoyed his passion and benefitted from his knowledge and experience.

If you are interested in seeing some photos of the sights as the family tried to see it all click here. If you are family and remember your password, and would like to see family photos from Italy, click here.

After a great visit to see grandchildren in Paris, we headed to the Airport and caught a flight to the Rome airport where we were to meet up with Erin and Pat, our daughter’s in laws and co-grandparents to four of our grandchildren. They had arranged for a driver named Mauricio (who they had used on a previous trip to Italy) to pick up all four of us and deliver us to the Amalfi Coast. I appreciate when we have the opportunity to see new places with other people who have been there before. Everything went according to plan and we arrived for lunch in the town of Positano at Buca di Bacco on the beach. We shared a great meal of fresh seafood and pasta and then continued on to Praiano, where Erin had chosen a lovely place. La Maurella is situated on a cliff above the sea and it had all we needed to be comfortable for the next few days. The staff was amazing, breakfasts always delicious, and the place sparkling clean. Michele, the manager of the boutique hotel, was a valuable source of information and advice. His kind and patient manner along with his command of the English language were much appreciated and added to our experience in the Amalfi Coast. We had a fantastic dinner at Il Pirata on the coast just a short walk from the hotel. We had time to talk about our plans in Italy, and rest and relax while our son-in-law drove from Paris to Rome with his family to have the grandchildren reunite with all the grandparents. For pictures of our stay in the region, including a trip to the Island of Capri, a tour hosted by our wonderful guide Gaetano (who has guided Rick Steves) in Pompei, a stop in the city of Sorrento, and the villages of Amalfi and Ravello, click here.

We have been planning to go to France since August. I enjoy French food and have not been there since 2016. But, the real reason for the trip is to visit our grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law. My wife and I both got the Moderna vaccine in April, and hoped that Paris would open up by mid-June; so we made airplane reservations and waited. My daughter’s inlaws were missing their grandchildren just as much (and there is no argument over whose grandkids are the cutest because they are the same kids), and planned a family get-together in Italy having heard that they were likely to open to tourists sooner than France. Anyway, I am not going to bore anyone with pictures of relatives, unless you are a relative and want to click here.

I do hope to post soon about the trip to Italy, complete with public photos of some sights.

Last winter my wife and I were invited to visit a couple of dear friends who had recently decided to become snowbirds. They were also good friends of my son who I wrote about in my last post. John was one of my biggest supporters when I was still coaching, and two of his sons were classmates and teammates of two of my sons. His wife, Doreen, was one of my colleagues in addition to being one of my wife’s friends. In times of personal tragedy, it is good to be able to have people you can count on to lend support. 

Click here if you would like to see some photos of some of the things we saw on our short road trip.