Day 23: PHASE 3...Italy, no Kids :( and :)

At 5:37 am we were on the road driving Ben to the Como train station...where he had confirmed a ticket to get himself to Malpensa Airport in Milan, since it was 1 1/2 hours from Linate Airport in Milan...(how does that work since Milan's not that big?)....then we drove to Linate Airport with Dan, since he had all his college bags/books and needed a bit more curb side support than Ben.  We needed to beat the rush hour traffic, which we did, and he was dropped off by 7:30...only 3 hours ahead of his scheduled departure.  Peg and I then drove the 1 1/2 hours back to our B and B on Lake Como...had breakfast...since it was only 9am, and immediately went back to bed.  Thinking I slept for 3 or 4 hours, Peggy woke me up to say...let's go hiking...it's a beautiful day out (the clearest we have ever seen it...due in large part to the thunderstorms last night)...I was not really up for it when I found out I only had about 30 minutes of shut eye.  Being as effective as any man in negotiating his will with his wife...you know how it turned out...I jumped up and got ready for hiking:)))  We had no way of hearing back from Ben or Dan, to see if they made it on the flight or had any glitches...and rather than ineffective worry...effective hiking would keep our hearts and minds positive and prayerful....(It's now 6pm and we still have seen no postings from the men saying they landed at one of the interim airports)....but that will come...
Hiking we did!!!  to our favorite Rifugio Menaggio....straight up for about an hour, then it flattens out for 5 minutes and then up again for 10 minutes and then you arrive....On our drive to get as high on the mountain as is physically reachable by car, we had a photo op of the Casino Royal final scene's estate...which is tiny and in the middle of all the leaves (Ben won't let me use Digital Zoom any longer on my camera without ridicule, because he says the pixels get all fuzzy when you enlarge the photo..he's so technical)..

 The start of the hike is in forest, as you go straight uphill...but eventually breaks out and provides excellent views of Lake Como and the villages, like Bellagio, situated on the tip of the peninsula...

 In the middle of this photo (again, no Digital Zoom), you can see a tiny white building which happens to be our goal...the Rifugio Mennagio.

 Peggy is in great spirits in large part due to the colors and clarity all around....and that I let her hold my super duper walking sticks...just for the photo...

 We arrived at our destination, and for the first time had some extra energy to go 15 minutes further to the next peak, from where we could see into Switzerland.  (don't worry folks, my hat, which I wear every second to protect the chrome dome, is in my hands and went right back on after the photo).

 Peggy even went a bit further to the little peak a few hundred yards away, and before she came back, I guess it was time to practice some Polish balancing techniques again...which I caught from a distance...

 The Rifugio provides full meals...and since it was lunch time when we arrived, offered Peggy a polenta and cheese plate.  (seems like they needed to get rid of a few tons of cheese)

 and I had their vegetable soup...which was delicious... until somehow I found a large number of cheese chunks floating...hmmmmm....how special....

 Reflection time....it was too beautiful to start back down..we had to stop, pray, praise and smell the roses...

 Screeching to a halt on a steep downhill curve, I asked Peggy, "What did you say stop now for?" She said "look, there it is!"  So here you all go...another photo of the Casino Royale final scene's estate...anybody recognize it???  anybody care???

We made it back to our B and B ready for a swim in Lake Como...we just walked across the street, down these stairs... which are right outside our balcony window...and were refreshed instantly (the water is only 68 degrees)...

Dinner time soon and I will add perhaps a photo or two after we eat....perhaps more than 1 or 2...and the first would be a sun drenched picture of Bellagio....across the lake from our B and B

 I also took this opportunity to try my first 30 second video...let's see if this works:))  If it does, it's dedicated to Elva Burlingham!!!

As I was just sitting there taking the random photo or two...the wonderful staff brought me an aperitivo...Prosecco and this amazing soft, fresh, local, covered in pure olive oil and fresh cracked pepper cheese...how was I supposed to know that there was one slice for each of us?  Just because there were 2 toothpicks...Peggy hadn't even arrived yet, and so I assumed these were for me.

 What Peggy saw when she arrived, and I'm sure it's something she loves to see....my finger swipes confirming that I had secured every drop of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper that was put originally on the plate....nice artistic design huh?  She didn't think so...they did bring her a slice for herself when they realized their mistake:)

 Well, we both got to have our own appetizer from this 4 course..."Garden" menu.  This is the roquefort cream filled celery with its fresh tomato grilled off with oil and garlic...uh...uh...uhmazing!!!

 Ty called this a timbale of eggplant stuffed with black rice, ricotta and other goodies, baked in the oven with fresh tomato sauce

 While it looked great on the outside...the inside tasted even better!

 The "main" course was a zucchini tart that was paired with olive oil and lemon juiced carrots...seriously flaky and delicious...

 Of course, after 3 years of being at the lake, George felt compelled to swing by in his heli, to wave hello...we politely waved back but were too excited about dessert coming to give him too much attention....I'll call him later to make sure he understood!

 And here's why...a 7 layer coffee tarte smothered in melted, warm, home made dark chocolate.  Honestly, it was so good that neither of us could finish it....

There was a warm breeze that picked up once in a while during dinner, and the lake was sometimes calm and sometimes a bit wavy...but the air, the evening, the food and mostly the loving companionship made this an unexpectedly blessed evening...and that's hard to do when you're missing your kids so much!  We love you Ben and Dan..write to us once in a while.....just don't ask for too much money:))))  Ciao Bella!

Day 22: CHILLaxing!

We had already planned to relax and hang around the B and B instead of Hike today, given that the men are flying back to California tomorrow and we leave for the train stations and airport at 5:30 am.  And it's a God/good thing we didn't head into the mountains on this day....but first, there was Ben wanting to have lunch about 1pm...none of us were hungry so he walked to a pizzeria down the street and ordered up.  About 10 minutes after that, Dan said he was hungry and he and I were in a great conversation, so I walked with him.  Then on my return walk back, here comes Peggy running up the street wondering why she didn't agree the first time to be having lunch with them on their last day here...which gives the background to this photo....

 Ben, as you might be able to tell, is completely finished with lunch...Dan has just received his pasta plate and is digging in, and Peggy is waiting for her truffle-oiled tagliatelli to arrive...we walked back to our patio, and everyone asked to play Scrabble...I mean last day and all.  When I arrive, after being told they were all waiting for me, here's how ready I find everybody...engrossed in literature!

The game ended with Ben beating me by 3 points...and only barely escaping Peggy's last play of a 7 letter UNIFIED Bingo trying to slide 2 different 3 letter words ending in U past Ben in order to capture the win:  EHU and KAU...he didn't flinch, challenged them right away and was also proven right when Dan challenged his huge 50 point ZOA to stay in the lead and win by 3 points.  How the game ended is one small story...where the game ended is a bigger story....just as we were finishing, a HUGE storm came in over the entire lake.  This is a photo from our bedroom window at 4 in the afternoon:

 and the table we were playing at literally just minutes before is now sitting in this "lake"

Motorcyclists were fun to watch as huge trucks splashed water all over them, even high enough to go over their heads at times...just below our window.  What a show.  It's an hour later, and the rain continues, but the blackness, hail, lightning and thunder are gone.  We will be having dinner indoors for sure....

Dinner was excellent!  and Indoors the restaurant is beautiful...

 The chef owner, Ty, is just over Ben's right shoulder.  His menu is listed as non-democratic, since he tells you what you have available for each course (only 1 option per course), and you decide how many courses you want....we wanted them all!  The first course, and the only way for Ben to eat fish, was to make them look like meatballs...yummmmmy!

 The second course was the pasta fagiole...home made little noodles with large beans in an amazing gravy...so good, I had no time to capture the "before" picture:)

 Then came the roasted chicken breast stuffed with herbs and covered in a delicate, flavorful sauce reduction.  Pretty tasty and filling!

 We could only handle ordering 3 of these desserts....so Ty gave me my own attack spoon, just in case.  We actually would have done well to order just 1 and split it 4 ways...called an English Trifle, it was filled with rum soaked cake, chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream and it came served with a late harvest Barbera...

 The entire meal was made extra special as we knew this was the time to enjoy the magnum we received from Marc and Monica a few days earlier.  We needed the boys to help us finish this delicious Loire Valley Cab Franc, and even Ty thought it was extremely tasty...raspberries according to Dan...

A little luggage packing, fast sleeping, awake by 5:15 am to get Ben to the train station and Dan to the airport on the other side of Milan...then phase three of our vacation starts.  Phase 1:  Us and Dan in Italy ...Phase 2:  Us, Dan and Ben in France and Lake Como...Phase 3:  Us in Italy with kids gone home...starting tomorrow...then Phase 4 starts on July 9th, Us and a whole ton of Tobin James club members on a cruise from Rome to riot torn Athens....please pray for Phase 4!   Ciao Bella from end of Phase 2!!!!

Day 21: Hiking to the Cross...year 2

The drive (about 1 1/2 hours) is harrier than the hike (about 1 hour each way).  But the views on both are superb...until you encounter a truck meets truck collision on a narrow mountainside road.  It seemed no one was hurt, except Italian patience:)))

 Arriving at the Refugio Vinezzi, we had a nice cheese and salami lunch before burning it off on the hike.  We couldn't decide if we should eat first and "burn it off" or eat after and "earn it off".  Ben finally said, "I think eating sounds good."  So we ate:)  After about 3 or 4 miles of fairly flat walking, with a few ups and downs, some stinging nettle avoidance and one bull scratching his hoof at us forcing a quick left turn on our path, we arrived, with Dan and Ben waiting for us excitedly....as you can see.

 The view straight down lets you see Bellagio...when the mist blows away...which was just before and just after this photo...

 Never to be out of form, Peggy again practicing that world famous Polish balancing technique...

 The Refugio provided a nice refuge (see how I did that...) for relaxing and enjoying some rays before the hair (and scream) raising drive back down the hill....(BTW, the cross we hiked to is just over my hat button on the far left:)

We all made it safely back to our B and B...with only one required reversal of 50 yards between two rock walls about 6 inches wider than my car.  "Why did you go down that road in the first place only to find 3 parked construction trucks blocking the way?" you might ask...well the correct way was no wider and required a sharper initial turn....in both cases I felt like Luke Skywalker going into the steep canyon of apartments to eliminate the Death Star.  (He never had to reverse out backwards did he?).

Okay, you may be saying...too much with the Elva Burlingham memorabilia...NEVER!!!!  We love the way Elva loves stuff.but we really love when she loves stuff we love...like sitting on the patio in Lake Como and having Prosecco looking at Belaggio..Here's to you Elva, you sweetie pie!!!

 Tonight's menu, ...maybe not the best explanation...but a great taste the local recipes, included this fish tart with pine nuts...

 Pasta with caramelized onions and anchovies...pretty nice!

 The recommended wine to pair with the night'smenu was this 2 grape beauty from the south of Italy...Nero d' Avola and a Cherry, Grenache like grape...made for a perfectly fruity and solid blend..

 Next came the silly wabbit....lovely if I must say so myself....which is unusual for my tastes...

 Dessert unfortunately arrived when Dan and Ben returned from their Pizza and beer venture...so the photo was a bit late, as they devoured in record time, this cake with just a little bit of powdered sugar.

Sitting together in Ben and Dan's room after dinner, testing Peggy on 90's songs, and watching Weird Al parodies is pretty special....  that guy is amazing...and a Cal Poly grad to boot...Ben reminded me....
It's pretty late, and tomorrow the men want to chill...so we ask that you experience God's richest blessings in Christ!!!!  until tomorrow...ciao bella!

Day 20: San Martino, Bellagio and Scrabble Humbling

As the day started off in a very relaxed fashion, Peggy had time to catch up on some logic puzzles on what we now call the "Elva Burlingham Memorial Porch"....Can we call it that now, or do we have to wait til she's...you know...dead?  Whatever the politically correct way to go is, we still know it as the EBMP!

Our primary hiking destination, actually our only hiking destination for the day, was San Martino...a tiny chapel on the side of a cliff that was beautifully surmounted last year by Steve, Elva, Aimee and Alyssa...with a little help from Peggy...It's the white church just barely visible hanging on the side of this cliff.

When we arrived at the summit, because the day was so clear, we were even able to see across Bellaggio (just over Ben's left shoulder) all the way down the east fork of Lake Como.  Oh by the way, for those who think I've forgotten Dan now that Ben's around, I want you to know that Dan is in this photo too...I guess....

Also, for the first time, there was a small crack in one of the windows of San Martino, so we got a photo of the inside...pretty cool...

Ben, ever ready for the photo op, has Bellaggio framed over his shoulder ... a nice combination if I must say so myself...and for those with perceptive eyes, the ferry from Menaggio is just entering...stage left...

Arriving back from our hike we ferried to Bellaggio, we stopped for dinner where the Burls and Goobs had a few meals...on a nice patio in the middle of the river rocked sidewalks, half way up the little village.  The meal was excellent again, and this dish was their oven fired pasta with bacon and anchovies...So I said to myself, "Did I just see pasta, bacon and anchovies in the same dish???  and all of that toasted and roasted in the oven until parts were crispy and crunchy???"  This realization prompted a one word response:  MINE!!!

Peggy's appetizer was also tasty...braseola (dried thinly sliced beef) with arugula (rocket) and parmegiano reggiano...coated then with EVOO (as Rachel Ray would say)...

Grilled Vegetables in the wood fired oven (NICK...we can do this!!!!)

and then it was time to return to our B and B for some Scrabble...but first we got to see the goal of tomorrow's hike...it's the highest peak, backlit by the setting sun, and you might see a cross on top.  That's our goal.  Thankfully, we drive up nearly all the way, park at a Refugio...that has full lunches...hike flat across the ridge, and then take amazing pictures making folks think we are mountain goats...we then walk flatly back to the Refugio, eat and drive back to our B and B.  If the weather is nice...it really is a treat...except last year we came face to face with mad cows ( that is cows that were mad, not cows that had mad cow disease)...

The ferry is always a fun experience for landlubbers like us...

and this combines the whole ferry/hike thing in one photo:)

Just before the humbling dining patio Scrabble Match (Monday the restaurant is closed which is what prompted us to eat in Bellaggio, and allowed us to sit and relax on it after our dinner and return ferry..), the family used the remaining sunlight to each read their favorite novels...while I photoed...

I couldn't hold off the challenge any longer...Ben was ready...unfortunately, too ready!

By the time it was over, blood was spilled (mine), tears were shed (laughing from Dan) and 48 points separated our scores.  He had 2 Bingos, nearly a third Bingo, and at one point was up 276 to 138.  I'd like to say I had an amazing comeback and almost won...that's what I'd like to say...but the reality is he played smart throughout the entire contest and let me think I was getting close only to shut off every possible opportunity I had for large point gains.  The man is a master, and I humbly accept defeat at his hands...all I can say in my defense is what genes!!!  

Tomorrow may rain, (so I'll follow the sun)...I mean, but if not...we'll be hiking with the mad cows.  Bless you all!!!