Whitworths in Italy: Part Two
I am getting a big step closer to being caught up with all the stories and photos of our adventures from the month of October. In this post, I will share some of the day trips we took that were closer to home, as well as some of the quieter moments in between all the traveling.
One errand that almost didn't make it into our busy schedule was SHOPPING. I love the store KIABI here in Vicenza. I tell people it's like Old Navy and Gap had a baby in Italy, and they named her Kiabi. They have the cutest clothes, especially for children, and for fantasticly (sp?) cheap prices. We scored big on the day that we went, which was just before our trips to Florence and London.
Our objective was to find some warmer items for the very cold weather we would soon encounter in London. We noticed that we were lacking in long sleeves and layers up in colder Salzburg, so it was important to be more prepared for the next big trip.
Gwen was a little harder to please . . . The first shirt she picked out had some difficult colors to match and we couldn't find any pants to go with it. The shirt had an unusual brown/copper/mustard color, mixed with BRIGHT coral red and a bright royal blue. Yikes. Whenever I found something that could work, she didn't like it. And whenever she found something SHE liked, there was nothing in her size. It took us about 3x as long to finish up Gwen's list of necessities . . . but we did find a Harry Potter shirt on the clearance rack, so that was a celebratory win.
While we shopped and shopped and tried on clothes in the dressing room, Amber was having a great time and found several sweaters and cute items for herself. Hooray!
We also stopped at the Palladio Mall across the street, where, much to our surprise, there was a HUGE display of Star Wars posters, Lego creations, etc. to ooh and aah over. The Whitworths are huge Star Wars fans, in addition to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
After we got back from Florence, Amber wrote the sweetest post on Instagram and Facebook where she described her experience. (click photo below to enlarge)
CITTADELLA: When we got back from London, and after we took an entire day to catch up on sleep, we changed our plans that we had made weeks in advance, and instead took a day trip to Cittadella. (pronounced like CHEE-ta-DELL-la) It's only a 30 minute drive north from our house, but wow it was a special place.
We had no idea that we would be greeted by a giant pink squirrel next to where we parked. Maybe the squirrel knew how happy it would make Gwen because it was her birthday!!
Per Wikipedia: The town was founded in 1220 by the Paduans (from Padova) to counterbalance the fortification of Castelfranco Veneto, 13 km to the east, in 1218 by the Trevisans (from Treviso). This was a time of war between the communes.
The walls are 46-52 feet in height, and approximately 6.9 feet thick. The surrounding wall of Cittadella is 4,793 feet in circumference and has a diameter of 1,480 feet. It was an absolute delight to climb up and walk the entire wall around the city.
A description (in ENGLISH) about the House of the Captain of the Guards . . . (click to enlarge photo)
Video #1 of some of the costumed figures: (7 seconds)
Video #2 of the figures: (7 seconds)
Google Translate for the photo below, which also explains Video #2 above:
"And Violante represents the power of the Bentivoglio. Elisabetta Aldobrandini, Pandolfo's mother, is the true architect of the Malatesta presence in Cittadella: her son owes her recognition and gratitude for the Venetian enfeoffment (?). The black clothes she wears recall her condition as a widow, but at the same time, the richness of the fabrics and the finesse of the decorations reaffirm her prestige and her high social status. Within the Malatesta family, her presence is a guarantee of political power and protection by the Republic of Venice. Elisabetta Aldobrandini is the essence of the Renaissance noblewoman."
Continued translation: "In this scene, while embroidering on a loom, she simultaneously supervises the servants' duties. Behind him is a dining table. Glass crockery and wooden plates were common in canteens. The metal cutlery and the painted and decorated ceramics underline the wealth and social level of the family. The guests who were welcomed into the house would have immediately understood, just by observing the table, the wealth and prestige of the hosts."
Video of the first staircase to get us up to the walkway above: (10 seconds)
And wow . . . Behold the city of Cittadella: (12 seconds)
The girls enjoyed the many peepholes and slits for the guarded military maneuvers from long ago.
Video on top of the wall: (8 seconds)
Oh, to be a kid and to have all that energy: (13 seconds)
I laughed out loud when Gwen started walking this way: (4 seconds)
A beautiful back yard as seen from above: (10 seconds)
To read the next two photos, please click to enlarge each one.
On our way back toward Vicenza, we stopped for pizza at a little place that Amber found for us on Google maps. It was basically a pizza restaurant within a gas station, but they had a lovely little corner with books and toys where we could comfortably wait for our food to be prepared.
Romeo & Juliet Castles: After lunch, we drove southwest to Montecchio Maggiore so Amber and Weston could visit the Romeo and Juliet Castles there. With it being an overcast and drizzly day, the fog and mist surrounding the castles created a mysterious, mystical and beautiful scene . . .
On top of the Romeo Castle, looking toward the Juliet Castle . . .
Video on top of the Romeo Castle: (14 seconds)
I drove the car over to the Juliet Castle, while Amber and her family chose to walk the short distance between the two castles. Having the car closer to our end destination was a good idea in case it started pouring.
A pomegranate tree inside the courtyard of the Juliet Castle . . .
'Twas a fun day of adventure in the rain and fog, but we still had more celebrating to do. After all, it was Gwen's birthday!! After dinner, she got a phone call from Great Grandma Linda in CA, who sang happy birthday to her. And then it was time for her Pokemon cake and to open all her gifts.
Video of all of us singing happy birthday to her: (32 seconds)
Venice: The following day, we hopped on the train and headed to Venice. The plan was for the girls and me to spend maybe a half day in Venice and then head home, while Amber and Weston stayed a while longer to have a date night together.
Fresh off the train at the Santa Lucia Station . . .
Video #1 of a "speedboat" in a Venice canal: (8 seconds)
Video #2 of another boat passing underneath the bridge we stood on: (7 seconds)
Video of Gwen trying to figure out how the locking mechanism works: (6 seconds)
For each of these explanative signs, you can click on the photo to enlarge and read them. (*Dad: I thought of you and Scott when I was in this museum. I wish both of you could have been there! You would have had so much fun!)
A timeline of the life of Leonardo da Vinci . . . (sorry it's in Italian)
Handwriting by the hand of Da Vinci himself, in what appears to be 1515, four years before he died.
Video of the mirror closet, which Gwen clearly enjoyed: (8 seconds)
Gwen trying out the pulley system and discovering that each bag had a different weight: (22 seconds)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/K3t9QkeUFyUa5mzeA
I had promised them we could get a souvenir somewhere along our way and told them to keep their eyes peeled for something that looked amazing to them. This is what we ended up with. :)
I ended up mailing their gorgeous Venetian masks to Louisiana after they left, along with a few other things, so that they could be properly wrapped and protected en route.
Goodness, it was so bright up there . . .
So, after we got our fill of science and engineering and art, we got some gelato next door and then we parted ways. Amber and Weston went on a little explore of their choosing and I headed in the direction of the train station with the girls.
Scott enjoyed some silly time with the girls that evening before they went to bed: (8 seconds)
Meanwhile, Amber and Weston wandered around and visited St. Mark's Square, bought some locally crafted rings together, and visited a few more art shops before they headed home.
Monte Berico: We woke up excited because we thought it was finally a Saturday where Scott could join us on a field trip!! But he ended up having some church responsibilities (to set up and fill a baptismal font, plus he needed to oversee the baptism later that afternoon) so he wasn't able to join us for more than a minute or two. After a good breakfast, we walked up to Monte Berico together while Scott drove up to the parking lot and met us up there. It was a lovely morning with one of the last warm days of the season for Northern Italy . . .
We filled some of the afternoon by playing games together. :)
Scott ended up being gone for a lot longer than any of us anticipated, but we tried to have a good attitude about it. When he finally did get home, he had a bad headache and he was pretty tired. Even though I was looking forward to him joining us for the Chocolate Festival that evening, I made sure he knew that I loved him no matter what and that it was okay for him to stay home and rest. It was a good thing he did stay home, because things ramped up at work that night and he had to go to the base early the next morning for urgent matters to attend to. (This was in the first few days after the Hamas bombed Israel.)
We didn't know about any of this urgency while the rest of us hopped on the bus and went downtown for the amazing annual Chocolate Festival in Vicenza.
Video #1 of some darling chocolate animal creations: (5 seconds)
Video #2 of a booth we bought a few things from: (10 seconds)
We bought some cannoli, a couple of macaroons, and a couple pieces of chocolate. I really wanted some of the chocolate dipped fruits, but they wanted too much for them (by weight). We only had a limited amount of cash with us, and we didn't want to go hunt down an ATM to get more cash just so we could indulge even more in buying additional chocolate. But then, is there even such a thing as having too much chocolate?
We kept good track of our time to get back on a bus before the 90 minutes ran out on our tickets. I think we left after just 45 minutes or so. When we got home, that's when Scott told us he had to report to work early in the morning and that I would need to deliver his talk in church for him. I was supposed to speak WITH him, but now I would not only be giving my talk, but his as well. I promised to do my best in his absence.
We figured out the details for getting Weston to the Venice Airport in the morning, opting to put him on the train so he could check in with RyanAir a little sooner than our original plan. Originally, I was going to drive him to the airport as soon as Sacrament meeting finished, but now that Scott was at work and we only had the one car, it was getting too complicated. Plus, we learned an important lesson on our recent fight from London to Venice on RyanAir, and Weston did NOT want anything to go wrong this time.
He made it to the airport just fine, and flew to London on RyanAir without a hitch to spend one night before flying back to the U.S. the next morning on a much better airline.
The two talks I gave in church also went just fine. I spoke about family history and how it helps us in our own quest for salvation, as well as helping our deceased family members, too. We begin by connecting to them in learning all that we can about them, and then we perform saving ordinances for them, if needed. They have the option to choose for themselves whether they accept those ordinances or not (in heaven).
Scott's talk was centered on the Addiction Recovery Program that is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, similar to the AA 12-Step Program. Our stake over here is starting a local chapter to help families who are struggling with any type of addiction. Our assigned speaking topic for Sunday was Salvation, which is essentially what we need to do in this life to make it back into God's presence and to live with Him forever. The Addiction Recovery Program helps us conquer the things that are holding us back, to allow us to better follow Jesus Christ and become more like Him. And that, in turn, helps us prepare to be comfortable in God's presence and to be worthy to live with Him.
After I finished my talk, I sat down and took a few sips of water while we sang a "Rest Hymn" midway through the meeting. Then I stood back up and read what Scott had prepared as his talk. What a day, haha.
In Primary, the children sang a welcome song for Abby, Gwen, and Amber, who were visiting.
Video of the welcome song: (34 seconds)
Chioggia: We took advantage of the ONE sunny day during the last week of October by driving one hour to Chioggia (kee-YOH-jah) so we could enjoy the beach. We got a late start, so by the time we got there it was lunchtime. I made sure to order my favorite mussels, which I then shared with Amber. She enjoyed learning how to use the shell as a spoon. :)
Video of the girls playing a wave-jumping game: (10 seconds)
There were several older locals out on the beach collecting clams in various ways. Some were walking on the wet sand with a scooper or a grabber, as seen in the photo below. They had little netted bags to place each clam into after they scooped it up.
Meanwhile, the girls had such a wonderful time splashing around in the Adriatic Sea.
Video of Gwen and Abby (Gwen runs away shouting Big Wave, Big Wave): (17 seconds)
Abby was fearless, wading out further and further to face bigger waves: (20 seconds)
She finally found a wave to crazily run away from: (10 seconds)
There was a darling little puppy tentatively chasing the water: (15 seconds)
Olive Oil Tour: Even though Amber still wasn't feeling too hot, we loaded her up with some hot tea, Advil and a decongestant so we could keep our appointment with Bonamini for a tour of their olive oil facility. It's located near Soave, about 45 minutes west of Vicenza. It's a family-owned business and their granddaughter, Rebecca, speaks English really well as the tour guide.
It was rainy outside, but sweet Gwen wanted to keep up with Rebecca: (4 seconds)
Rebecca talked to us about how they used to use huge cement wheels to press the olives in the "olden days", squishing the pulp out. It wasn't a perfect process when they used large animals to walk around in circles, making the wheel work and turn continuously, and also pooping as they went along. Nowadays, the process is very clean and sterile, and no animals are involved, ha ha.
Video of the samples you can try before buying - oils, vinegars, etc.: (14 seconds)
Video of all the recent awards Bonamini has received for their olive oils: (16 seconds)
Flos-Olei is like an atlas of approximately 500 olive oil farms that have been reviewed and ranked according to excellence. Their book is published each year in 3 languages: Italian-English, Italian-Spanish, and Italian-Chinese. The farms up for review are located on 5 continents and consist of 56 countries in all. I didn't know this until recently, but Spain produces the most olive oil in the world, not Italy!
Later that afternoon, we cleaned, sorted and prepared some seashells to ship back to the U.S., because Amber wants to make a seashell wind-chime, like one that we saw at a souvenir stand in Chioggia.
The following day we mailed her package of shells home to Louisiana, making sure that we lovingly wrapped them up and added lots of bubble wrap to ensure their safety. :)
We visited the library on base one more time and had lunch in the food court at the PX. (Post Exchange) Abby and I had fallen in love with a vendor booth in the food court area the week before, so we (well, me) decided to buy something there. I kind of have a thing for gnomes . . .
These are the two I chose to purchase.
On Amber's LAST DAY, we had arranged for her to have a floral arranging lesson from my friend, Marnie Parker. First, we rode the bus downtown to pick out some flowers at the Farmers Market.
Abby had her heart set on these pompom mums, but they were pretty expensive per bundle.
I let the girls choose some cheaper and brightly dyed daisies instead. They selected some bright pink and bright turquoise bundles and were very happy.
Short video of Amber weaving in some greenery to start: (6 seconds)
Marnie had also thoughtfully dug out her daughters' old collection of Littlest Pet Shop, with hundreds of tiny little pets and toys to keep the girls busy while we sat on the porch to work on vases of flowers. She is an amazing friend!!
Their hilltop estate is so dreamy . . . you can see for miles and miles . . .
So the deal was: I bought the flowers, Amber arranged them, and then I got to keep them when Amber left. Not bad . . . :)
We walked over to the InterSpar grocery store one last time so Amber could get a few items to bring home to share with friends. She had a clever idea to have the girls take turns carrying the grocery bag for a total of 3 minutes each. Abby was a champ and made it for the entire 3 minutes, even though she was struggling at the end.
Last hugs for Poppa before he went to bed . . .
And that brings me to the worst words of this whole post: THEY LEFT THE FOLLOWING MORNING. Boo hoo.
We got up at 3:00 a.m. to be out the door by 3:45. Scott was already working from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. all week (due to the war in Israel), so things were already a little out of whack around the house. We wisely had the girls go to sleep in the outfit they would wear for their flight home, which made it a lot easier to wake them up and get them out the door in the middle of the night.
I drove everyone to the Venice Airport, parked, and then accompanied them through the long line to check in their bags. And then it was time to say goodbye . . .
Goodbye my loves. Ciao. Arrivederci. Buona giornata. XOXOXO
Comments
Post a Comment