Lost in Translation...? (Or Lost in the Mountains?)

My communication in France is hit or miss. Sometimes I get it right, but more likely I’ll end up on the wrong train (not yet), get two apple tarts instead of one (yesterday), end up in the emergency room (in 2015), or get into unexpected situations. Wanting to cool down on a hot day by getting up into the mountains, I attempted the following conversation prior to starting up the trail to Mount Rachais, in the Chartreuse Mountains near Grenoble, France.

Me: “Will it be steep?”

“Non.”

Me: “But it looks like it goes straight up! No switchbacks!”

Me: “Will it be rocky?”

“Non.”

Me: “Will it be easy to find the way?”

“Mais oui (of course).”

Me: “But I don’t see Mont Rachais on these signs!”

Me: “Will it be a hot day?”

“Non.”

Me: (panting, sweating)

Me: “Will there be interesting scenery along the way?”

“Mais oui (of course).”

Me: “Um...”

Me: “Will there be a view at the top?”

“Non; seulement des arbres, malheureusement (only trees, unfortunately).”

Me: “Um...”

Me: “How will we get to the trailhead?”

“Les bulles.”

Me: “Bubbles...?????”

Me: “Can we take it slow and rest a lot?”

“Non. Vite! (We must hurry!)”

Me: “Ha ha, you didn’t mean that!”

Me: “How will we know when it’s time to turn around?”

“Ha ha. Silly woman, you have to get all the way to the top.”

Empires and Architecture: Revisiting History

Romeo, Romeo, where art thou?

Nobody knows for sure. There are castles in Montecchio Maggiore rumored to be “Romeo’s and Juliet’s.” But there is no hard evidence that the Montagues and Capulets existed, let alone lived in the area. Ditto for the fortress-like “Montague” villa and romance-tinged “Juliet’s” balcony in Verona, visited by millions. 

So my friend Deanne and I skipped that “fake news” scene and stuck with the facts. In Padua and Vincenza, the architecture and history are well documented. 

The first thing you see on entering Padua is the remains of a Roman amphitheater, begun around 30 B.C. 

Piazzas dei Signori and delle Erbe, next door to each other, feature an astrological clock with signs of the zodiac—Libra is missing—and the magnificent Palazzo della Ragione, built in the 1200s and used as a law court five centuries later.

In my opinion, the Basilica honoring St. Anthony of Padua tops most of the churches and cathedrals I’ve seen in Europe. The initial structure dates from the 1200s, with additions ranging from a Renaissance chapel of the 1500s to elaborate 1700s Baroque sculptures, designed to show off power and wealth. Some of it could be called gaudy. But I was impressed. 

A bonus in Padua was the city’s hidden gems. Rounding a corner to find marble columns, classical statues, or Venetian-style windows. Green parks. Street markets with racks and racks of cheap Italian-designed clothes.

Not to mention the lively street scenes during happy hour—which takes place outdoors, in all parts of the city, and lasts roughly from 2 pm to 8 pm, when restaurants finally get around to serving real food.

Down the road is another gem, relatively unknown or at least uncrowded by hordes of tourists. Vicenza is passed over by the thousands streaming into Verona to swoon under “Juliet’s” balcony. Yet the architect Palladio of Vicenza left an indelible mark on the world, not just on the 16th-century buildings in his home town, but influencing architecture as far and as late as Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello and the University of Virginia’s Rotunda.

Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico wowed audiences with the first-known scenery painted in perspective; i.e., the scenes appear to stretch to the far horizon. The first performance was “Oedipus.” The original sets are still used. 

Vicenza is another adventure in hidden gems—from porticos to parks to thick, hot sipping chocolate. (Think melted chocolate bar.)

We may have missed gazing on turrets possibly graced by a legendary Romeo. But we found architectural spectacles and evidence of real stories from the past.

Croatia to Italy...Somewhere, Sometime

Just to keep things interesting, Deanne and I boarded a ferry today, a nice change from long bus and car journeys. After three days in the touristy and meat-friendly Istrian coast of Croatia, we are heading for the land of pasta, tomato, and eggplant (Italy). And more tourists.

Waiting for the ferry in Rovinj; old town in background

To make things even more interesting, we neglected making hotel reservations and decided to just “show up” somewhere, sometime. This strategy worked in the days of Lonely Planet and tourist information counters. This time it is the result of profound indecision, and a shortage of rooms in a lovely traditional B&B with a garden, balcony, view, or at least a hearty breakfast, in the right place at the right time. At least according to Booking.com and Expedia.

The indecision was exacerbated by minor illness on my part—cold, sinus, and stomach upset. Too weak to swim, shop, or visit the historic churches in Rovinj, let alone research our next destination. Our room in an ancient building of stone walls and lintels in the heart of Old Town was a pleasant place to lie down and lent a touch of history to our stay.

Our room in ancient stone building, old town Rovinj

The Rovinj seafront is crowded with dozens—hundreds?—of outdoor restaurants and an equal number of shops. A tourist Mecca. 

Deanne swam off the rocks in the warm, clear Adriatic Sea—with the giant jellyfish—while I slept. 

Stairs down to the water; jellyfish are easy to spot

Together we searched markets and menus for fruit, salad, or a side dish of potatoes and greens. The local tomatoes are ripe and the ricotta is fresh and sublime.

Farmers market on Tuesdays

We boarded another bus briefly for a trip down the coast to the Roman amphitheater at Pula, near the bottom of the Istrian peninsula. Sixth largest in the world, now a concert venue.

Roman coliseum-turned-concert hall

Soon the ferry will dock at Trieste, a maritime port of the Romans, Hapsburgs, Italians. We will have lunch in the piazza then meander to the train station to contemplate our next move.

Three Countries in Three Hours

Three countries in three hours—how is this possible? One way would be to fly in a fast plane. But if you recall from my post a few days ago, I’m plodding along on land for a while before switching to water. Travel by air I s a distant third.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Countries in the eastern portion of Europe are the size of US states. And just as varied in geography, ethnicity, economy. You can travel quickly by road and, because of the EU, at times you can enter and exit without pausing to gather your wits, let alone pass a border patrol. Just like travel along the US Atlantic coast.

I have a $20 bus ticket to traverse Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia this afternoon. Three countries in three hours. If I consider my travels last week, I can add Austria, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Six countries in six days.

Trieste, Italy

My frequent border crossings are nothing compared with the frequent turnover of rulers in these snatches of Europe. From imperial dominance to communism to ethnic battles to independence, you could say history has moved quickly and tumultuously. It is still under way; even without empires and world wars, ethnic and border conflicts continued into the 1990s and 2000s.

On a border, where our passports got stamped

Confused? When I studied European history (in the 1970s, at Wayne State University), there were fewer national boundaries—and fewer freedoms. But there were many ethnic, religious, and other conflicts, some of which intensified with the collapse of the Soviet and Yugoslav Republics and resurgence of nationalism. Think Kosovo and Bosnia. 

Novigrad bus station, Croatia

People here are quick to correct me if I refer to this region as Eastern Europe. They prefer Central Europe. But a quick stab at researching that label reveals that it’s impossible to clearly delineate Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Balkans. Do you consider politics, international geographic standards, UN statistics, economic cooperation or lack thereof? What about national sentiment? Size?

How can the publishers of history books keep up?

Porec, Croatia

For the time being, peace and order seems to prevail, and road conditions are stable from one country to the next. Passports are stamped routinely or not at all. If I really wanted to, with a fast car, I bet I could traverse nine or 10 countries in a day.