Our London adventure ends on the morning of Saturday, February 21, when we board our plane to return home to New York.
When we arrive home, we will begin a slow process of transitioning to a 'retired' life. Carl and I will be looking for new adventures to experience at home -- together, with each other -- and with our friends and family members around us.
Sue has asked me to collect my thoughts and try to summarize my impressions and feelings as we close out our year in London and prepare to go home. It’s hard to believe that’s it’s been a year – it’s all gone by so quickly that it’s like a blur. And, maybe, that’s the best way for me to recap my experiences, to try to take you through what I sometimes think of as this large collage that runs around in my head as I go about my day-to-day routine.
First London, a city made up of hundreds of villages each with its own unique character and feel and which, over a thousand years, now has 12,000,000 people living in it. A city both grand and grimy but always interesting, a walkable city with beautiful architecture, monuments and palaces, fortresses, parks, shops, pubs, gourmet restaurants, great museums and music venues (Royal Albert Hall, The Academy of St Martin’s in the Field), theatre in the west end and in the park, London cab drivers, the tube and double-decker buses, people driving on the wrong side of the road. Expressions like lift, queue, flat, bum, boot, bonnet, and “mind the gap”. Gray and rainy lots of the time, good beer and bread and not a snow plow in the whole place.
Greater England, the Cotswold’s, the Lake Country, Richmond and Brighton, Leeds, Oxford, Edinburgh and Churchill’s home, Chartwell, where the cab driver who takes you there from the train station is a published author of children’s books. Palaces, castles and cathedrals everywhere. A green country with lots of long views.
We traveled to Europe a lot and that was great. An emotional trip to Slovenia to see my father’s birth home and connect with long lost family; cousins once and twice removed, “aunts and uncles”. It was a warm, wonderful, and too short an experience. Slovenia is a beautiful country. And so are Austria and the Czech Republic which we did as part of the Slovenia trip. We also did long weekends in Paris and Belgium (Brussels and Bruges), Christmas Markets in Germany and Austria; and the final trip for us as a couple was Italy on the Amalfi Coast and Sicily. There are no bad meals in Italy!!
We were able to share some of our experiences with family: Kris and Richard and Paul and Carol in the spring with the best stretch of weather we had the whole year. Tom and Shannon just under the deadline before Shannon couldn’t travel any more because she was pregnant with Nate, and Matt and Julie just after Christmas and into the New Year. We feel blessed to have such great family.
We also had friends visit and we delighted in showing them around. And we made new friends here in London: expats Pete and Marsha Dillon, new colleagues at work, and men and women that Sue met through the various clubs and organizations that she joined.
It’s been a great adventure and it’s brought Sue and me even closer together. It’s also an emotional time for us as I contemplate a transition to retirement over the next year. Already my successor at the company has been named and I am transitioning to the role of “senior advisor”. So, in 12 months, we’ve had a beginning, an ending and, now, a new beginning. It’s frightening and wonderful at the same time.
It’s interesting that one can recap a year in a few short paragraphs. I know I am not doing the experiences we have had the justice they deserve; for justice you really ought to read the detailed blog that Sue has so faithfully maintained over the last year. It’s wonderful and she did a great job with it and it will be a great memory for both of us. What I have tried to convey are the thoughts, feelings and recollections that run around in my head every day; you’re getting them at a moment in time. I know as soon as I stop writing this and it’s posted with Sue’s final blog entry I will think of something else. And that’s OK because that’s what this year should be, a living, vital, reflective experience that will continue to grow and inform us as we get on to the rest of our lives.
Next week, Carl and I will leave London and return home again. I have been thinking about what I will miss most in London, what I am most looking forward to at home, and what I will take with me from this experience.
I WILL MISS …
…my friend, Marcia, and the daily adventures of discovery that she and I shared in and around London. Also, Marcia and Pete and Carl and I spent many entertaining evenings together having dinner at London pubs and restaurants.
…all the conveniences of living in this great city. I could walk around the corner to the High Street, for just about anything I needed. I had easy access to other parts of the city on the tube and on those famous Double Decker buses that I enjoyed so much.
…the beautiful architecture. I love the ancient buildings and cathedrals that are a part of everyday life here.
… the large selection of foods from all over the world. In my opinion, the food in London – and in Europe - is simply superior. Borough Market was a favorite place of mine because of the many tastes available. Everywhere in the city, breads and rolls are of a higher quality. I believe that, as a group, Europeans have a healthier relationship with food.
…London’s central location in Europe. Travel to other countries, like France, Germany, Belgium, and Spain is convenient and relatively inexpensive.
… the English mystery programs that were on television almost every night of the week. Carl and I spent many evenings being entertained by Hercule Poirot, Haggart, and Inspector Thomas Linley. (We also read many English mysteries too.)
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO…
… being with my family and my friends again. It will feel good to spend more time with everyone. I will enjoy phoning people during the daytime hours.
…teaching writing classes at Norwalk Community College again. I am already gathering ideas for new lessons and planning on ways to improve the courses I will teach in September.
…sunny skies. I love the clear, bright blue skies that dominate our days at home– no matter what the temperature is. There is nothing so uplifting as sunshine.
…driving my car. I will enjoy just taking off on the highway and going wherever I please – on the right - hand side of the highway, of course. I will especially appreciate the convenience of piling all my shopping packages in the back of the car to take them home.
…sleeping in my own comfortable bed and being surrounded by my own furniture. It will also be a real treat to use my own washing machine and dryer. It will just feel good to be home.
I WILL TAKE WITH ME…
… a continued interest in walking. I walked all over this city; it was easy and fun to do. I plan to find ways to keep up with the walking back at home.
… a growing interest in photography. I have probably taken more pictures this year than ever before. I have begun learning how to use Photoshop. Marcia has taught me some techniques and has introduced me to a photo club. I plan to continue developing my skills – and look for a photo club to join locally.
…an appreciation for wearing scarves. I love how Europeans will sometimes wear only a scarf, gloves, and a sweater on a cold day. I like how the scarves look, and I see how warm they can keep you – even without the coat. I have bought many scarves here, and I plan to wear them more often back at home.
…a newly discovered favorite Indian dish: Chicken Korma. It has a mild flavor of coconut and almonds, and I really like it. I will seek it out at Indian restaurants, and perhaps make it at home again.
Of course, I will take with me many beautiful memories. This city – and this year - will always be special for me.
Also, I leave here with fresh eyes and a new appreciation for the familiar life to which I am returning.
Finally, and most important of all, Carl and I will take home a renewed feeling of closeness as a couple for having shared this year-long London adventure together – just the two of us. This has been a gift.
We originally planned to travel to the south of Italy in the spring, but decided to go now - even though it was off season- - because we will be leaving London and returning home at the end of February.
We broke our trip into two parts: 1) flying into Naples and spending three days in a town called Positano on the Amalfi coastline, and then 2) flying from Naples to Catania, Sicily, and spending three days in the town called Taormino.
NAPLES
Carl’s mom used to have an Italian expression that she used whenever she wanted to say something like, “That’s nonsense!” It sounded like “F’nauble” (it rhymed with goblet, without the “t” at the end). One day she explained to us that it literally meant, “Go to Naples.” I guessed that where her family came from in Sicily they didn’t think too highly of Naples. I think I now know why.
The guidebook described the city as having a crime problem, and provided suggestions for how to avoid becoming victims of theft. When we picked up our rental car at the Naples airport, the Hertz agent advised us to never park on the street, only in paid lots. The Never Lost feature that we ordered, which is usually mounted permanently in the car, was handed to us in a small carrying case, and we were warned to never leave it in the car, but always to take it inside with us.
For the first night of our trip, we stayed at a very nice hotel in Naples before travelling down the coast to Positano the next morning. However, while the hotel itself was lovely, it was located in a rough and rundown neighborhood. (In fact, the whole drive from the airport to the hotel was in what looked to be very bad areas.) The front door of the hotel was permanently locked; all guests and visitors had to be buzzed in by the front desk. In that neighborhood, the sidings of all the stucco buildings were chipped away. If there was paint on the building, it was usually peeling. Some windows were boarded up with wood or covered with metal shutters. Walls and sides of buildings were covered with graffiti. Trash overflowed dumpsters and littered the curbs and sidewalks. We saw at least four German shepherd dogs roaming the streets.
A few days later, we returned to Naples during the daytime just to see more of it. Even then, in the heart of the city center, there was garbage strewn all over. Our guide, who was from Positano, said, “They are crazy in Naples. Everything is so dirty. They are not like the people in Positano.” One very nice area in Naples, though, was along the coastline. In those neighborhoods, there were lovely hotels and restaurants and very high-line apartment buildings. “This is where the rich people live,” our guide told us.
I didn't get any pictures of the bad neighborhoods - but took this view of the coastline looking south from Naples.
POSITANO on the Amalfi coast of Italy
Positano is the town we stayed in on the Amalfi coast. Like all the other towns nearby, it was built vertically along the side of a steep hill leading down to the sea. The colorful houses and hotels were picturesque. Driving anywhere in the town required a lot of switchbacks and hairpin turns.
Positano is pictured below.
Because our visit to the Amalfi coast was during the off-season, many of the restaurants and shops were not even open yet. The hotel we stayed at – The Positea – opened for the season just hours before we arrived. The next photo shows the view from our hotel room.
There were not a lot of tourists there with us, maybe six or seven others in the entire hotel. Mostly we saw local residents and tradesmen – many involved in painting the hotels and sprucing them up for the upcoming season. This situation gave us almost an insiders’ view of this small town, and that was fun. With a permanent population of only 5,000, many residents knew each other, and they would honk or wave in greeting as they passed each other on the street. The hotel receptionist called one of his buddies, Favio, to be our guide for a day and drive us around the whole coastal area to see the major sights. (We decided to park our rental car that day and let someone else do the driving for a change.) We talked with the hotel owner one afternoon, as he brought us wine and tea in the dining area, and gave us some history of the place.
One morning we walked all the way down to the beach from our hotel. In the photo below, you can see it was nothing like the beach we go to at home.
When we arrived at the beach, we were greeted by a large, friendly black dog who had been sleeping on the sidewalk near a restaurant on the beach. When this dog approached us, he seemed to have a really sweet disposition, and we pet him. Well, he started to follow us back up the hill, and as it turned out that dog followed us a couple of miles along the switchback roads all the way back up the hill to our hotel. During the walk, several local people looked at him with recognition on their faces – some even greeted him. The receptionist at the hotel told us that it was Negro, the town dog. Negro fell asleep on the rug outside the hotel lobby while Carl and I slipped inside and went to our room. We were glad to see he had left and gone back home when we came outside again.
One evening we had dinner at a restaurant - La Tagliotta - that was recommended by the hotel receptionist. We were warned not to eat much for lunch because Mama would be insulted if we didn’t eat all of her food. Someone from the restaurant came to the hotel to fetch us – and later took us back as well. The restaurant was charming. We were greeted by members of the family who owned the place. (It was an uncle who was the driver – and he later served food as well.) There was no menu – they just kept bringing out the food that they had cooked for that day, one course at a time. They began by putting a big jug filled with red wine on the table – and bread. Then came the many plates of appetizers: ricotta & mozzarella cheeses, squid, chick peas & fagiole beans, roasted vegetables, spinach quiche, hams & cheeses, and risotto. That was followed by the pasta course: a large platter filled with gnocchi, cannelloni, ravioli, and manicotti, all smothered with a light and tasty tomato sauce. Next was the meat course, with another large platter containing five or six pieces of delicious grilled meats: sausages, chicken cutlet, shish kebob, pork chops, and steak. The dessert platter contained profita rolls, cheese cake, and pastries. Coffee and tea did not end it all – because then came the shot glass of limoncello, a locally produced lemon liqueur. (The area was filled with lemon trees and orange trees.)
Carl and I believe there are no bad meals in Italy. Everywhere we went, the food was tasty and fresh – even the pizza we had at lunch stops-- and even at the airport!! Believe it or not, the Naples airport had a wide selection of fresh and delicious foods, all arranged by the course: appetizers, pasta course, meat & fish, and dessert. And, of course, there were three types of bread to choose from. At the tables where we sat to eat, there were several bottles of extra virgin olive oil and vinegars to dress salads, and there was a microwave to heat up a dish if it was not warm enough. Amazing.
Pompeii - While we were near Naples one day, we did take a two-hour tour of the remains of the lost city of Pompeii. It was fascinating to see how highly developed that city was and to learn about the sophisticated systems they had in place before the volcanic eruption of the Mt Vesuvius destroyed it all back in 79 AD. Pompeii had developed a system of indoor plumbing, and running water for everyone. There were government buildings, an arena, a marketplace, a health spa with hot and cold baths for men and another for women. There were many shops, and homes of all sizes. (Among other places, our tour guide pointed out the remains of a house of ill repute – so identified from the ‘statue’ of male genitalia hanging over the front door.) There are still archeological digs taking place at that site – and people come from all over the world to participate. Below are just two images from the ruins.
Below is Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that spewed out the lethal ashes and buried everything and everyone in Pompeii. The guide told us the volcano was twice as tall before it exploded. The town along its base is Naples.
In some of the small towns along the Amalfi coast, we would see grottos, or small models of the town built into the rock alongside the road. The photo below is one example.
This photo shows a small fishermen's village located in a valley between the steep, rocky hills along the coastline.
The one aspect of Italy I do dislike is the driving culture. Everyone is in a hurry. People drive cars, motor scooters, and motorcycles around curves way too fast and cutting in and out of traffic. In Naples, at an intersection with a four-way stop sign, the intersection was jammed with about six cars, all pushing to make their turn first. If a driver hesitates for a second too long at a light that has just turned green, the driver behind him will invariably honk. Italian drivers honk all the time. It is a basic part of driving.
One humorous Italian driving sight I wish I had captured with a camera was that of a young man driving a motor scooter with his friend sitting on the back behind him. The driver was talking away to his friend and steering with only one hand because he was gesturing and ‘talking’ with the other hand.
TAORMINA on the island of Sicily
Our start in Sicily was not so good.
When we arrived at the Catania airport, the car rental agent told us there was no record of our reservation – and dismissed us with a wave of his hand to find a car from another company. After we produced the paperwork, they produced the car.
Later, finding our hotel in Taormina was a nightmare, even with the navigational instrument in the car. We found ourselves driving in circles amidst a maze of narrow streets in town unable to locate our hotel. At one point, we turned up a one-way street going the wrong way and were yelled at by another driver, who reamed us out and, cursing us, drove off in a huff.
Of course, we finally found the hotel. After eating a quick meal in the dining room (empty except for the two of us) we went to our room and collapsed for the night. By the way, the hotel was magnificent. It used to be a monastery – and it has to be one of the grandest places we have ever stayed in. It was called the San Domenica Palace Hotel. Below is the view from our room.
Taormina was another ancient and beautiful town -- also set high in the hills. The picture below is looking down on the town from a higher hilltop.
The weather was warmer, and we spent the days walking around, browsing the shops, and admiring the scenery.
We were surprised to learn that shopkeepers closed for a siesta from 1-4 pm every weekday afternoon. (This was true in Positano as well.) One day, Carl and I decided to have our own siesta in the hotel room.
We visited the ruins of an ancient Greek theater that was built atop a hill in Taormina sometime around 730 BC.
The history of Sicily is really awesome. Someone described the island as being one large archeological dig.
The snow-topped Mount Etna loomed large on the horizon as we drove down the highway leading away from Taormina. A worker at the hotel said that is where they go when they want snow. One couple in a neighboring room at the hotel left early one morning with large backpacks - we thought perhaps they were hiking or climbing Mount Etna.
This photo shows all the citrus trees in the foreground.
At dinner on our second night in Taormina we talked with the restaurant manager, who it turns out has relatives in Norwalk, Connecticut. He told us that Mancuso is definitely a Sicilian name. After dinner and dessert, he brought us each a frozen liqueur glass filled with a Sicilian almond-flavored wine. DELICIOUS!
I later Googled the family name, Mancuso, and discovered it is a very popular name all over Sicily and on mainland Italy in Calabria. There are several websites dedicated to locating Mancuso relatives. The name means left-handed.
This trip was a beautiful topper to our year-long stay here in London. And even though it was off-season, we are happy we got to see this very special part of Italy.
