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We fell in love with train travel again today as we skirted the Mediterranean all the way from Genoa, Italy, to Nice, France. Wonderful views greeted us around every bend in the geography. Italy with weathered buildings and snow capped mountains and flat terrain next to the sea gave way in France to pastel colored and more modern buildings and cliffs that jutted into the sea.

When we set foot in Nice, the weather was superb–bright and warm with a cool breeze. We are immediately impressed with Nice. The walk along the Mediterranean, the Promenade of the English, is beautiful. The old town is so very French. We ate at a wonderful bistro. How do the French cook with such panache and satisfying taste? My starter salad was called prawns and spinach. It came in a heavy glass square bowl with grapefruit and orange sections over baby spinach and shrimp with a light cream sauce seasoned with basil. Simple, different, tasty and elegant. The meal got better from there, but ended with caramel ice cream and caramel granola sticks topped with whipped cream with sprinkles of caramel. Kathy and I went for a walk to burn a few calories. Nice is an elegant city. It has history and we will see some of the historic buildings tomorrow, but it is in the middle of the French Rivera on the Mediterranean coast surrounded by bays and mountainous cliffs so the scenery is outstanding, the weather is fantastic and the city ambiance is outstanding. WEG

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Genoa turned out to be a wonderful surprise of beauty. It has the narrowest alleys we have seen so far and there are many of them. Its harbor is a delight with its natural curved coastline sloping up into a hill and filled with boats and ringed with a wonderful walkway lined with shops and restaurants. It is also the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and they are proud of that.

The cathedral San Lorenzo is quite magnificent with a main altar area lined with imposing statutes of Biblical characters and a stunning fresco painted high above. The cathedral is an odd mixture of styles that find harmony. But it is the Church of Jesus that took my breath away. I was not expecting this wonder of Baroque art when I pulled open the door. In fact, we almost passed it by, but I saw an open door in what looked like a church and just went for it. And boom, overwhelming motion in art–that is the Baroque style–motion. Then to my surprise, we read–in Italian–verified later in English, that several of Peter Paul Rubens’ great paintings are on the altars of this wondrous church. People were coming still late in the evening with offerings of palms on this Palm Sunday.

Sometimes, the most satisfying things happen when you do not expect them to happen. Like finding that Genoa, a city most tourists pass by, was a jewel and quite a satisfying place to visit. WEG

Why is it that we leave souvenirs to the last moment? There are street vendors everywhere selling their wares. Trinkets, sunglasses, umbrellas, little squishy balls that have a face on them and light gizmos that fly in the air sellers abound on every street and then there are the big markets. One stretches along the River Arno from the Ponte Vecchio Bridge (the one in all the pictures of Florence that has shops selling mostly gold jewelry built into it) all the way to where the Uffizi Gallery connects to the river, about four blocks long, that sells mainly paintings and children’s wooden toys and t-shirts. The big leather market is in the arcades around the Uffize Gallery–anything made of leather is here and the merchants are really good at drawing you in–how they know we are from America without hearing us speak is amazing–as they ask, “which state are you from” in English, hoping to get us to stop. The market around San Lorenzo Church and the Medici Chapel is huge and varied in products–leather, silk, cashmere and jewelry predominating. The sellers here are in stalls in front of stores. Once you stop to look, they quickly try to whisk you into the store where everyone inside is trained on how to get you to buy something. You can easily be tag-teamed with workers telling you which looks best and bringing all the colors out to view and giving you “deals.” Did someone say, “Deal?” Hooked Kathy every time! WEG

The light gizmos light up Piazza della Signoria.

As our departure looms, the Tuscan Moon is still shining over Palazzo Vecchio tower.

And chicken legs is still on her perch.

What better way to end a day than under the Tuscan Moon with your wife at your side? Can’t really think of anything right now. The setting was magical–the moon was drifting above the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria. The great statuary of the Piazza was lit with soft light. The copy of Michelangelo’s David–the real one is in the Accademia just a few streets away–towered above us as we ate our evening meal in an outdoor restaurant in the Piazza. The weather was splendid and hundreds of people were in the Piazza, which is quite expansive, milling around all the great statuary. The Palazzo Vecchio was the city center for centuries. When its mighty bells pealed, it was for only one purpose–to call the citizens to the piazza because the city leaders had something important to convey–oftentimes war was imminent as Florence vied with Siena, Pisa and Genoa for supremacy in the region–a battle that Florence eventually won. Tonight the bells pealed, not for war, but for our enjoyment under the Tuscan moon.

I want a brick oven! Last night brick oven focaccia bread, tonight calzone. The crust was thin and crisp with oven burns on the top. The ham, artichokes and mozzarella blended in wonderful harmony. I am sure it is the intense heat that makes the difference in baking these Italian staples. It is so wonderful! Even more so eaten under the Tuscan Moon. WEG

It feels good to conclude on a high note. We think we did that today as we near the conclusion of our time in Italy. Two dissimilar items, focaccia bread and pipe organ, combined to make this a great day.

Walking about this great city of Florence again, admiring the historic buildings that line its narrow streets, we stumbled upon a bakery that sold fresh focaccia, straight from the brick oven. We could not resist buying some. It tasted as good as it looked and it looked great! The creases cut on the flat dough prior to baking were filled with olive oil while the bread was warm from the oven. The edges were slightly charcoaled. The crust was thin and crisp and the interior soft. Eaten dipped in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper and basil, it was a finishing touch to all the great Italian food we have eaten.

This evening we attended an excellent organ concert played in one of the old churches just off Piazza dell Repubblica, which is just down the street from our apartment. We were enchanted by the beauty of the music in the dimly lit church and the exceptional quality of the organist and the clarity of the ancient organ. Kathy was touched with the Bach pieces played since this is the great composer’s birthdate. What a fitting final touch to all the majestic art we have experienced in this city!

Yes, it feels good to conclude on a high note.

Milan gets all the fashion news, but we found out that Florence is the heartbeat, the marketing/advertising and creative hub for the fashion industry in Italy. The fashion houses, Italian and non-Italian, have flagship stores here and those stores are close by our apartment.

Kathy is helping me with this post, so that some seriousness can intersect with my zaniness on this subject. Women seem to take fashion a little more seriously than men. We concentrate mainly on the Italian names with a few others thrown in. So here is the fashion take as the stores unveiled their spring flagship windows this week and some even hours ago.

So what did they put in that Louis Vuitton window that we posted them working on late last night?

One purse for all that work! But at 2140E or $2761, I suppose it deserves star attraction.

What are the trends? For starters, monochromatic is in big time. One color displays ruled as illustrated by this window at Gucci.

Guess the price of the red outfit, including shoes and no jewelry–9000E or $11,610. From what I saw, the shoes and belt were coordinated with the purse material wise to make a set, so I suppose sets of accessories are in now. In fact, several displays featured the same scenario. Oh, and by the way, while jewelry was on display it was not on display with the clothes. That means jewelry is not the main item any more and is being downplayed in favor of matching shoes, belt and purse. Since they are so expensive that makes marketing sense to me, jewelry a woman will keep, but when shoes change style, it’s time for new ones. That’s not a chauvinist statement, is it? Not meant to be.

Another trend is pointy shoes for women. Kindof sharp points like the hat on the Wicked Witch of the East in the Wizard of Oz. Kathy isn’t paying attention right now, so I can say what I really think.

Like these at Prada.

And like these at Dior.

Belts for women are in. Almost all displays featured them.

This Dolce and Gabbana belt will set you back 545E or $703.

And chicken legs for women are in.

This photo says it all.

Men’s clothes follow sheepishly behind the women’s, but bags, kindof like purses I must say, are everywhere.

So are monochromatic suits.

And if you want to sew your own clothes with the same cloth as found in the the clothes on display?

One meter will set you back a minimum of 120E or $169 per yard. Some fabric ran as high as $633 per yard.

The rest of the pictures are for your viewing pleasure. WEG with creative consulting of KG

Italy is known for so many things, but I suppose if you asked most folks what comes to mind when they think of Italy, pizza would be in the top 10 or top 2 even. So, since we have been here, I have consumed my share of the oval, not perfectly round here, delicacies or also the square ones sold by the piece in many walkups. They say it was invented in Napoli, but it is omnipresent in every corner of Italy. I have seen it made with French fries and hot dog slices (Italian hot dogs are somewhat different than US ones and they are categorized as a type of sausage); with buffalo mozzarella nearly always in globs not melted across the whole; with sausage slices of every description, but hardly ever with pepperoni; with tomato sauce and without; with vegetables; with fish or chicken and rarely with any kind of beef and always with thin crust.

What are the restaurants like in which the pizza is sold? First of all, the restaurants are called by different names:

A Ristorante is like any full service restaurant but here they tend to be in unique settings. We have eaten in brick vaulted rooms and rooms with old archways and rooms with painted ceilings. One of the most beautiful was in Ravenna in an old library that had 600 year old frescoes on the ceilings and the tables were the ancient book stalls. I’ll be honest–I didn’t eat pizza here, although it was on the menu.

A Trattoria is a casual eatery that may have family style service and local fare. In France it’s a bistro; in Spain, it’s a tapas bar and in England, it’s a pub.

An Osteria is a wine bar and simple food establishment that prides itself on local specialties, and you may eat on shared tables. These can be quite crowded, and it is expected that you will rub shoulders.

Then there are the walk up bars or stores with pizza under glass and you order by the slice and it is warmed for you and you stand and eat or find a small chair to ease into or take and eat outside. Often times, gelato is sold in these same walkups.

So, what is the Graumannater PizzaRater opinion of real Italian pizza? It’s good. It’s all about the crust and simple ingredients that happen to be on hand that day. Nothing fussy–no cheese in the crust or deep dish, no overwhelming cheesiness, no thick sauce–just good down home taste that brings you back for more, since you did not overeat when you ate the whole thing. And, it tastes good with either wine or beer, but in Italy, it is usually wine. WEG

Coming soon to a blog site near you–Graumannfufu the Fashion Guru. What Italian Fashion Houses are springing on the world from an onsite fashion expert and with pictures. Tell your friends, as this will be everyone’s guide to a new you with a new wardrobe.

“So, is your ‘encore life’ trip what you thought it would be?” is a question we have been asked. I do not know if it is exactly what I thought it would be, but it is what I hoped it would be.

–I had hoped for a trip that combined exciting and interesting things to see and do, with time to rest and reflect. If you are the sort of person who must pack it in every day while on vacation, then this kind of trip, where you park for a month at a time, might not work for you. I have loved having so many museums, parks, restaurants, historic buildings, cultural events, etc. within easy reach. I have also loved being able to sleep in or stay up late or take a nap when I wanted to do so.

–I had hoped for a trip that allowed me the flexibility to decide what to do on my schedule. Of course, if you buy tickets to an event you must schedule it or your day around it. If you have a rent car or airline or train ticket, you need to be on scheduled time. However, staying in one place did allow for many flex days. Or for days where you did what most tourists do but on your schedule. Like a bridge, I can walk over it and touch the statues or stop and lean on the railing and watch the river rush by. Like a church, sit and meditate after you have looked at the beauty of the building and art work or better yet, go to a service among the people. See the old gentleman approach the rail and kneel and fervently pray. Sit in thanksgiving when another gentleman comes to you while sitting and asks, “Do you like my church?” And then listen as he proudly gives you a history lesson and points out the stunning Madonna and Child painting from the 1200s that is the center piece of the altar.

–I had hoped for a trip where we could eat in or eat out–our choice, sort of like home, but in a unique setting. The apartment choice was a good one for us. Thankfully, the pictures online matched what we got. We have room to spread out, good sleeping quarters, efficient kitchens with all that is needed to cook in and we are well placed to historic sites and markets and transportation. It is home away from home.

–I had hoped for a trip where Kathy and I could have both quality and quantity time together. That has happened and we enjoy each other and our journey.

–I had hoped for a trip where folks could meet up with us if that worked out and it has for some and we have loved it. Experiencing a journey and adventure with others is a delightful thing to do. WEG

Old city centers in Europe are not airport terminals, especially when it comes to flooring. So when you go to buy that new suitcase, first ask yourself, over what kind of terrain am I going to be pulling this thing. If every surface you will encounter is flat and smooth then the modern four wheel spinner might be just what you need. However, if the majority of surfaces you will pull your suitcases over are rough, then the traditional bags with two big wheels are much better. Just ask my wife.

Really, just ask me! I am pulling her four wheel spinner over the cobblestone streets of the world. I told her not to buy it…I told her the little wheels on the bag would not roll over rough surfaces…I told her I was getting a non de script two big wheel bag because I was positive we would have cobblestone surfaces of all kinds on our travels…I told her that if it wouldn’t roll then it would be almost impossible to pull those little wheels over old cobblestone…I, er, she had her own ideas and and it was purple and faux alligator with a matching carry on bag to boot. All common sense went by the wayside.

Guess who cannot pull the bag over rough surfaces and guess how many times she has actually rolled the thing herself and you guessed it–guess who is now pulling her bag? Take a cab, you say. Well, that could be an option if, in fact, taxis were allowed to drive on your streets in the old town–they aren’t. Just get a new bag, you say. That is not an option since she is so attached to the purple thing that she sleeps with it by the bedside.

Here is the deal–I am pulling a purple, faux alligator four wheel spinner over cobblestone streets. The matching purse/carryon bag is attached and because my wife is afraid of pickpockets, she has a bright sparkly scarf tied around the straps of the matching purse bag. She walks lolly gagging 50 feet behind me so that it looks to others as if this is my bag. I have encountered more than one set of raised eyebrows. I like attention, but this is the wrong kind. Next time, I’m buying the bags! WEG

The crowds are starting to build up in Florence as Easter nears. On our long walk today we actually ran into our first people jam in front of San Lorenzo Church, the church built by the Medici’s, the powerful Renaissance banking family. Florence is in a frenzy getting things in order for the big tourist season to come. Overnight, plazas are planted with new flowers and plants. Scaffolding is coming down to reveal newly plastered or painted buildings. Heavily walked streets have been repaved with new cobblestone or old cobblestone repaired. Streets are being hand swept. It’s Easter and company’s coming! The buzz on the streets is almost electric.

As we walked today, we came upon two churches that are not big tourist draws in this art rich city. They were beautiful and historic and one was breathtaking upon entry. The first, San Marco, is known as Fra Angelico’s church because he designed it and it contains some of this great artist’s best paintings. It was also the church led by Savonarola, a reform minded priest before Luther, who was eventually burned at the stake for his views. The next was the Church of the Annunciation, set in a rustic square and an interior that was a riot of color and art and texture. I was totally intrigued by its haunting beauty and by the image of the Virgin Mary from the early 1200s. I was struck by the thought that within these two churches are a vast accumulation of great art, more than in many city museums in other parts of the world, and yet, here in Florence, they get little to no mention and Kathy and I simply stumbled into them on a walk. WEG