Spain and Italy by the Numbers…

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig! And oh my, Cuenca suuuure does look and feel WONDERFUL after 33 days and nights on the trail!

That said, unfortunately – reversing back over 6 different time zones (i.e. Spain is 6 hours ahead of Ecuador), I arrived back in Cuenca amid a serious fog of jet-lag, and it took more than a full week to slowly get my wonky circadian rhythm back to normal. 🙁

With any luck, I’ll somehow manage to resume my earlier diligence in reporting the many details of my travels here amid the (lately, a bit dusty) TL halls.  But if TravelnLass history is any indication of future pecking performance…

I believe the best way to approach sharing my many eclectic experiences in Spain and Italy, is to… simply toss each locale out here – with a few of the high- (and low-) lights, along with an (arguably uber-subjective) “memorability rating” much like I did for my 6 week solo wander through 8 different countries in Eastern Europe 5 years ago.

Furthermore, I thought it might be fun to also add a few key “numbers” to illuminate just what goes into these (not-so) little jaunts this 70-something continues to (gratefully, mi dios!) undertake.

Towit:

• 33 days and nights (March 22 – April 23)
• 13 different hotels (14 if you count the “day bed” I so desperately opted for at the Zurich airport)
• 9 planes
• 10 trains (+5 wee train rides between villages in Cinque Terre)
• 15 buses/shuttles
• 3 ferries, and…

• 349,081 steps!!! (~164 miles of walking!)

Not exactly your run-of-the-mill, care-free holiday with a plane ride or two, and a handful of easy-breezy connections. Indeed, in retrospect my 33 day itinerary was faaar too ambitious – even for a 20-something, much less a septuagenarian. Normally I know better than to cram too much into my itineraries, but I think that covid played a part in my over-zealousness on this one.  Indeed, when you lock-down an avid wanderlust for 2 full years – it’s not surprising that I’d get a little giddy, and greedily try to squeeze in too much.

In short, AIS hindsight is 20/20 and in retrospect I’d have cut out at least a couple of my stops, stay longer in fewer places, and try to avoid so @#$%&! many connections!

In any case, here’s how it played out.  Off we go with the audacious rankings (bearing in mind that these are merely MY (one singular individual traveler) subjective assessment – clearly mitigated by my age, my stamina, my travel interests, and above all – the weather during my late March/April romp though southern Europe.

In short, just a quick ‘n dirty – daring to evaluate each place and assign a simple numeric (on a scale of 1 to 5) as to how each locale compared to the others that I so briefly explored.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Memorability Rating: 3

Gaudi’s Sagrada Família – started in 1882, and 200+ years later, it’s STILL not finished!

Even I’m surprised that Barcelona doesn’t rate a point or two higher.  I really liked Madrid, and I LOVED Valencia on my last pass through Europe.  And the foodie in me had heard such good things about Barcelona’s tapas and wine scene.  Not to mention all those legendary Gaudi’s yes?

But I actually found the famous “La Boqueria” market somewhat mediocre (certainly not as good as Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel, nor even the Mercado Central in Valencia).  And “The Rambla”? Pretty enough, but it’s really just a wide pedestrian avenue lined with pricey Guci, Dolce and Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, etc. shops.  Sorry, but not my cuppa tea in my travels.

I stayed in the L’Eixample neighborhood – quite upscale and relatively convenient to most the Barcelona sights.  But one day I did a walking tour of the Gothic neighborhood, and I now believe it would have been a better fit for me (think: historical narrow medieval streets).

And those glorious, brightly colored Guadi houses?  Again, a bit of a disappointment.  In reality, not nearly so colorful, and even the Sagrada Familia… Yes, yes – no doubt quite the impressive, towering, fussy architecture marvel (perpetually under construction).  But again, up-close, in-person – imho a bit gingerbready/Disneylandish.

That said, I’m sure my short stay in Barcelona was colored somewhat by both the weather (shivering temps, and perpetual drizzle for my entire walking tour – ugh!), as well as…

While (not surprisingly) it always takes me a few days to adjust to the rhythm of a new travel adventure – the jet-lag, plus just getting the hang again of living out of a rollie, etc. – I think after 2 years of “quedate en casa” (“stay home”), my travel skills had rather rusted.  So I’m sure Barcelona has much more to offer and deserves another chance. Next time I’m passing through Europe, I’ll definitely give it another go.

Sangria? Vermut? Which would YOU choose?

Among the highlights for me in my 5 night/4 day stay in Barcelona this time around – were unearthing an entire street full of vintage clothing shops (yippeee!), an impulsive Michelin lunch at Majide Japanese restaurant (sea urchin starter + grilled octopus in plum sauce – woa!), and indulging in numerous incredible pastries at the legendary Hofmann bakery in the Gothic quarter (famous for their heavenly croissants filled with mascarpone cheese).

That, and tossing down my fair share of vermut, cava and sangria of course! 😀

VENICE, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 4

Nope. I did NOT drop a near c-note for a short ride in a gondola (and I’m quite content with that decision).

Truly magical. Absolutely no-place-like-it-on-Earth!This was actually my 2nd visit to Venice. The first, as a single-mom, shoestring backpacker with my two young daughters (then 8 and 11 yrs.old) waaay back… 40+ years ago! Sadly (though not surprisingly), I don’t recall what-all we did, nor how long we stayed. No doubt in a cheap hostel, and I remember marveling at the astronomical price of a coffee in St. Mark’s Square. And what I remember most – if I recall correctly – when we left, we took a boat from the hostal to the train station, and only then did I remember that I’D LEFT ALL OUR PASSPORTS BACK AT THE HOSTAL!!! Needless to say, we had to boat back to the hostal to retrieve them!

This visit was quite different of course, and I made the best of my time in this magical place. The weather was cold and often rainy (thank goodness for my beloved thin wool long underwear that I never travel without even when visiting the tropics!)  But I did manage to make my (shivering!) way early one morning to the fish market (along the Grand Canal, just beside the legendary Rialto Bridge), sampled the dizzying array of yummy Venician “chicchetti”, finaly tried “Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia” (a renowned pasta dish blackened by squid/cuttle fish ink), and just ambled through the twisting, cobbled lanes and bridges of one of the most ancient and legendary cities in the World – snapping iconic pics at every turn.

A bit of an upgrade from my last visit as a single-mom/student bouncing around Europe in the late ’70’s. 😉

And on my final day, I hopped a couple of ferries to visit both the nearby islands of Murano and Burano. The former is famous for its glass blowing and intricate “murrina” designs, while the latter is noted for its handmade lace. And I must say, Burano is also among the most photogenic corners of the globe. At the Murano Glass Museum, I fell in love with a variation of the “murrina” bitty glass rods technique, and opted to tote home a pair of “millefiori” earrings,

And of course – though I (happily) remain a frugal, backpacking traveler – it should be mentioned that I upgraded my visit to St. Mark’s Plaza a bit this time around – with an espresso and a dainty tart at Caffè Florian (established in 1720 and one of the oldest cafes in the World) whilst classical violin and piano music wafted around me.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 3

Another destination that proved somewhat less-than-expected.  I actually try hard not to have undue expectations of the places I visit, but – as a serious foodie – Bologna was billed as the “Foodie Capital of Italy” after all. So of course I swiftly found a well-reviewed restaurant, and ordered the requisite plate of authentic “Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese” (NEVER “Spaghetti Bolognese”!) But I must say – it seemed quite ordinary, and not nearly as rich and tasty as the ragù tomato sauce I make with ground beef and fresh tomatoes in my own cocina here in Cuenca!

That said, I did indeed enjoy some excellent eats in Bologna:  my first taste of officially aged “Parmigiano-Reggiano” cheese, along with boatloads of ever-so-thinly sliced Parma ham. And I did tote home a precious (spray – it was that preciously priced!!) bottle of *6* year old aged balsamic vinegar, along with a can of white truffle flavored extra-virgin olive oil.

And in the non-foodie department – one of the highlights in Bologna was tracking down Bologna’s hidden “finestrella” (window), the “La Piccola Venezia” (“Little Venice”) – a tiny door in a wall on a side street that opens onto… yes indeed, a watery canal scene straight out of Venice!

CINQUE TERRE, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 5+++!

The village of Manarola – which I (blissfully) called “home” for 3 nights.

Anybody got a 6 or a 7 rating handy?No doubt about it – hands down, my FAVORITE among this marathon of European destinations.

On one hand – Cinque Terre reminded me a lot of one of my other all-time favorite travel discoveries: the idyllic haven of Motovun, on the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia.  But here at Cinque Terre, Italy – we have ***5 TIMES*** the charm!

Imagine… “cinque” (Italian for “five”) tiny, centuries-old seaside villages – each one utterly unique, and all clinging to the towering cliffs high above the Ligurian Sea in northwest Italy. Five pristine hamlets of colorful houses and steeply terraced vineyards – like a necklace of gems overlooking the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.

Seriously.  Ever seeking the most idyllic corners of the globe – simply doesn’t get any better than this.

While many make the Cinque Terre but a day trip from Pisa or even Florence, I was lucky to call this slice of Italian heaven home for 3 full days/nights. I suppose… you *could* visit all 5 villages in a single day (thanks only to a most remarkably efficient train system that links them) – but that wouldn’t give you more than a brief blur of each village (nor allow for even a single hike between villages) and… imho, would completely negate the entire ambiance of exploring this magical corner of the globe.

My sweet sleeps in Manarola

Not surprisingly, accommodations can be precious (and expensive!) in this tiny corner of the world.  But I prudently chose my sleeps there well in advance, at a sweet place in Manarola (the village just north of the southern-most village in the CT string).  Conveniently located just steps from the “tunnel” leading to/from the train station, my little “Ca de Gianchi – Verdeblù” guesthouse had everything I needed with a window overlooking the town square, great wifi, plus a most helpful host – for just €60 per night.

And speaking of “night”… Not generally drawn to the buzz of “nightlife” in my solo travels, after a long day of exploring/hiking the many nooks of the CT, one night I just picked up a bottle of local Ligurian wine, along with an assortment of deli cheeses, olives, homemade pesto, fresh baguette, etc. and enjoyed a quiet evening at “home”.

And by day?  I spent my first full day visiting two other villages by train:  Riomaggiore, the southernmost village (and turns out my fave of all five villages), along with the northernmost village of Monterosso al Mare (the one with the nicest beach).  And the following day, I again hopped on the handy train for a 6 minute ride to the village of Corniglia, and then hiked from there to the next village north: Vernazza.  The latter, a near 3 hour trek (rumored to be among the easiest, but still…) that I dare say tested the mettle of these 70+ year old knees!  Nonetheless, an experience filled with jaw-dropping vistas of the sea at every turn, and a soul-touching experience I shall carry with me forever!

And while I had plenty of options (wine tastings, pesto making workshops, etc.) for my final day, I chose to spend it just aimlessly wandering around Manarola soaking up the tranquil vibe whilst… grabbing a tasty “seafood cone” (paper cones brimming with a mix of deep-fried seafood including freshly-caught anchovies, fish and calamari); sipping a heavenly “Limoncino”; and savoring a cup of the creamiest gelato on the Planet!

BARI, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 2.5

Orecchiette (“little ears”) pasta – the better to soak up a fresh Italian ragù.

Bari was never meant to be more than a brief one-night-stand – a necessary connection from Cinque Terre in the far north of Italy, via train-train-shuttlebus-plane-shuttlebus to get me down south to Italy’s “boot”, the beautiful Puglia region.

Nonetheless, I made the best of a single morning there (before hopping on an afternoon train to Matera) by tracking down one of the most authentic attractions a foodie could want: the hidden cobbled alleyway where generations of Italian mothers and grandmothers continue to make the traditional “orecchiette” (“little ears”) pasta fresh, by hand – in the street.

Orecchiette pasta is made with semolina and water, and the shape is said to be ideal for holding pools of pasta sauce. The dough is kneaded and rolled into spindly snakes and cut into bits.  The fatter the roll, the bigger each “ear”. Then – in one swift movement – each bit is smushed and dragged with a simple butter knife, into the “ear” shape. It looks easy, but I tried a few, and suffice it’s taken these lasses a lifetime of practice to get it right.

MATERA, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 5

Located in the Basilicata region of Italy (just outside of the Puglia region of Italy’s “heel”), Matera is an ancient city comprised of “sassie” – a complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside.  With its warren of stone buildings and bridges, Matera was a featured location for a thrilling chase scene in the most recent Bond movie, “No Time to Die”.

And (lucky me) in Matera I had my own (renovated) “sassie” apartment (Alba Chiara Holiday Home) with a magnificent private terrace overlooking the main plaza.  And indeed, after three full weeks of moving from place, to place, to place – I savored the convenience of my little kitchen and the view from my terrace – and caught up on my travel laundry chores (I mean, doesn’t everyone have their own private Italian olive tree to hang their undies on?) 😀

I also treated myself to a gourmet dinner at one of Matera’s finest restaurants (The Quarry Restaurant Terrace). My “pulpo” (octopus) and shrimp appetizer, along with a pasta dish with clams and zucchini flowers was delish.  And the owner of the restaurant made a point of chatting with me after dinner – and gave me a “regalo” (“gift” in Italian, as well as Spanish!) of a can of extra-virgin olive oil – from the olive trees on her own Matera property!

I also stumbled upon a wonderful little artist studio (Studio 59 Art Gallery), and bought 3 small silkscreen prints, as well as… lol, I even bought the black silk-screen Matera t-shirt – off the artist’s (Angelo Lamacchia) back!

MONOPOLI, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 4

The street-side charm of B&B Borgo San Martino

Another single night/half day stop in Puglia. But one that I truly do wish I’d been able to stay longer.  My sleeps in Monopoli (B&B Borgo San Martino) couldn’t have been more charming and cozy.  A tiny cubby with private bath, on the top floor of a darling B&B – with great wifi, a tiny fridge, and… angels above my head!

But it was the stunning, white-washed seaside town of Monopoli nestled along the blue Adriatic that took my breath away.  Yes indeed, I most definitely need to return to Italy and spend a month or three exploring the many small towns like this in Puglia!

ALBEROBELLO, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 4

Easily, my favorite sleeps of my entire (33 nights!) Spain/Italy trip – in my own private authentic “trullo”. That alone rates a 10+ in my book.  But the town itself?  Nice enough no doubt, but a bit less enchanting than I was expecting.

Our shared dessert at Ristorante “L’Aratro”.

Nonetheless, with just one night there (primarily to sleep in an ancient trullo – otherwise, Alberobello can easily be visited on a day trip from most any of the charming surrounding Puglia towns), I made the best of my limited time there.

On the bus from Monopoli, I met a lovely British couple who’d pre-arranged a guided tour of Alberobello, so – for €30 – I tagged along w/ them.  The 2 hr. tour was mildly interesting (though I was reminded why I much prefer to explore new locales independently).  But afterward, my new Brit friends and I enjoyed (at um, my nudging?) a wonderful lunch at a Michelin restaurant in the center of town.

Ah but it is the memory of my precious sleeps at Trulli Resort Grassi that will remain with me forever.

Needless to say, snagging an authentic trullo in Alberobello (at any price) is a bit of a challenge (beware: not all the so-called “trulli” listed online are created equal – many are little more than ordinary hotel rooms without even a hint of the spectacular dome ceiling/roof that marks a true trullo).  But by reserving my Alberobello sleeps months in advance, I had THE most wondrous trullo (a full apartment with kitchen, dining, and separate bedroom – at just $80) all to myself!

My amazing sleeps in Alberobello…

Authentic domed stone ceiling on my trullo

Ever so grateful to be able to travel and sleep in wondrous cubbies like this!

So “rating”-wise – I’d give my Alberobello sleeps a **10+**!!!  But the town itself (a bit touristy for my taste), knocks the overall memorability rating down to a (still very respectable) 4.

CATANIA, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 2.5

To be fair, Catania shouldn’t even be a separate rating, as I really only landed there (at 10 pm at night) as a means of making my way to my main prize on the island of Sicily: the Aeolian Islands off the northeast coast.

That said, it was this particular segment of my hippity-hop itinerary that proved a hiccup in the program. Furthermore (as most travel hiccups/near-disasters often do), this one makes for a fun little “Travel Uh-oh!” story – that perfectly demonstrates how to swiftly make “lemons into lemonade” when traveling ’round the globe.

It was inevitable. Given the multitude of bus, plane, ferry and train transfers/connections over this month+ odyssey of Spain/Italy – it was just a matter of time until I, um… goofed. Missed a connection big time.

Italian train station number… um, I’ve lost count!

After a bus -> plane -> bus -> single night’s sleep in Catania, I managed to wheel my little rollie to the Catania train station the next morning, buy a ticket, find the correct platform, hop aboard, and there I was – happily rolling along en route to the glorious Aeolian Islands!

I even managed to successfully change trains in Messina, and was on my 2nd train that morning en route to Milazzo (the ferry port to the Aeolian Islands). There I was blissfully rolling along – faithfully (as usual) counting the stops/carefully watching the stop monitor/listening for stop announcements for Milazzo (not always in English and even then, barely intelligible) when…

A woman nursing a babe in the seat in front of me started a ruckus with the conductor. I couldn’t quite make out what it was all about in full-blown, highly animated Italian, but suffice it was quite the ruckus.  Furthermore, with all the Italian arms flailing and hands waving, they blocked the train-stop monitor, and made such a fuss that…Um, I got distracted and MISSED MY STOP AT MILAZZO! 😵

Didn’t even realize it until 3 stops later – so I swiftly hopped off the train in the (very sweet, but otherwise g-forsaken) little town of “S. Giorgio”.

Dusty, desolate train station: closed.  And nary a soul stirring about…  What’s a girl to do???

This is how you turn lemons into lemonade… errr, birra! 😀

lol – simply gather my veteran travel wits about me, find my way to the town’s (*only*) tiny cafe, and…

Suffice the kindly locals swiftly offered me a “birra” and a freshly made salami sandwich, and I settled in for a most delightful hour’s wait for the next train BACK 3 stops to Milazzo! I repeat – I believe it’s called “making lemons into lemonade”. And indeed, it’s precisely such travel hiccups that often make the most memorable travel experiences.

P.S. the “2” ranking is for the goof-up; the “.5” is for making the best of it! 😀

LIPARI ISLAND, SICILY, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 4

So I (finally) managed to make my way (BACK!) to Milazzo, but of course I was a bit later than I’d planned in hopping on a ferry to Lipari Island.

On the return train I met a delightful widower with two young children (ages 8 and 11 yrs. – reminded me of my own single-parent travels around Europe when my dd’s were that age) who was hoping to ferry all the way to Stromboli Island that night (so his kids could see the fiery volcano eruptions).  So we shared a taxi from the train station to the ferry terminal.  But by then, all the ferries to Stromboli (the furthest-most isle in the Aeolian chain of 7 islands) had already left.  So he likewise hopped on the (last) ferry to Lipari, and fortunately he and the kids were able to book a room at my reserved hotel.

And oh my, my sleeps on Lipari turned out to be yet another excellent find!  Not only another sweet studio with full kitchen and private terrace (with a 180° view of the sea!), but… turns out I was sooo thankful that I’d opted to stay in the village of Canneto, rather than the faaar more bustling/touristy port of Lipari town.  Canneto (3 km north of Lipari town) was easily reached via a frequent shuttle bus that runs via a tunnel through the “bump”/headland that protects the tranquility of the village.

View from the terrace of my hotel on Lipari Island

Arriving after dark, for that first night on Lipari we (my new Belgian friend + kids and I) opted for dinner at one of Canneto’s (few, open) seaside restaurants (many remained shuttered as it was still off-season).  There – my first bite of the legendary Sicilian “burrata” (a small pouch of mozzarella cheese with a creamy/oozy center) fairly made me swoon!  Followed by my first ever “pistachio” pizza (who knew pistacchio sauce + pizza could taste so divine?)

Chocolate-pistachio cannolo – utterly delish!

The following morning, my new friends headed out early for Stromboli, and I spent the day – in my all-time-favorite manner – simply wandering the seaside town and stocking up on eats from the local deli to leisurely enjoy in the convenience of my own kitchen and private terrace.   But of special note:   it was here, in the tiny village of Canneto that I wrapped my mouth around my first-ever freshly made Sicilian CANNOLO.  In a word: H. E. A. V. E. N!!!

STROMBOLI ISLAND, SICILY, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 5

First glimpse of smoldering Stromboli as the ferry neared the island.

My original “plan” was to base myself on Lipari Island for 3 nights (about a 2 hour ferry ride from Stromboli, the isle with the – continuously – fiery erupting volcano of the same name), and do a night boat tour from Lipari to Stromboli in order to (more safely?) view the eruptions (one of which… sent tourists and Stromboli island residents alike scurrying for cover as recently as June 2019!)

So on the morning of my final full day on Lipari, I shuttled into the busy ferry port in Lipari town thinking… I’d set such a tour up for that night.  Nope.  Apparently April is a bit too early in the season for tour operators to run such night trips.  In short, the only way I was going to glimpse that legendary Stromboli volcano doing its fiery lava-spilling-sparks-flying, boom-boom thing… was to sail over to the island on a ferry and spend the night there.

Seriously.  Nano-second decision.  (i.e. we veteran independent travelers are nothing – if not N.I.M.B.L.E.)

Added bonus – while waiting for the ferry to Stromboli, I enjoyed my first Sicilian “granita” – and discovered that it’s traditionally eaten by dipping chunks of brioche into the icy goodness.

Thus – it took me all of 2 minutes to buy a ferry ticket to the island of Stromboli (departing in little more than a hour!); log into Booking.com on my phone and book a room on Stromboli; rush back to my (paid in full for that night) sweet sleeps in Canneto; pack up my rollie (along with the boatload of new grocery eats including a bottle of local wine), and rush back to Lipari town to catch the ferry to Stromboli!

Was it worth it? Though the short video below can’t really capture the exhilarating feelings of being there in person, the answer is a resounding… Yes, YES, YESSS!

The island of Stromboli turned out to be stunningly beautiful, plus – I was able to hike (~2 miles) at dusk to the “Osservatorio” restaurant and dine on the terrace whilst witnessing one of THE most AMAZING natural spectacles on the Planet!  Indeed, Stromboli was especially active that night – with more than a dozen fiery eruptions – some bigger, some smaller, along with plenty of heart-thumping ka-BOOMS!

PALERMO, SICILY, ITALY – Memorability Rating: 3

Palermo – the final stop on my wander from north to the far south of Italy, and I allotted 5 nights there – primarily to ensure a solid base for the expectedly uber-busy Easter holiday. I also (not surprisingly) needed a good rest from my many recent hops around Puglia and the Aeolian Isles.

So I resisted the urge to take day trips (to nearish-by Cefalù, the salt pans of Trapani, etc.) Rather, I simply settled into my (again, fully stocked) studio apartment, and ambled about the gritty cobbled streets of Palermo soaking up the local ambiance – and greedily sampling (my last) tastes of the many delicious Sicilian eats.

The many Sicilian eats at the Vucciria market

A delectable trio of bruschetta yum! Which one do you think was my favorite?

THE most delish Sicilian cannolo yet – from the best cannoli shop in Palermo!

Whew! Nearly FIVE THOUSAND WORDS here already! lol, and here I was trying to merely peck a “quick” synopsis. 😀 I guess that’s what you get when you hop all over creation on your first furlough after being glued to terra firma in “quedate en casa” for more than two. blessed. years!

Ah but there’s one more “number” that you might find fun here…The total number of bitty (and um, not at all so…) trinkets and souvenirs that (by some miracle) I was able to tote home to Ecuador.

What on EARTH was I thinking???

Only after I arrived back home in my beloved Cuenca, was I able to extract them all from the darkest nooks ‘n crannies of my (ever, carry-on size) rollie, and the wee pockets of my small rucksack.

And I counted them…all *25* of them!

From the teensy glass earrings I bought on Murano island in Venice, to… the um, What-on-EARTH-was-I-thinking? vintage wool plaid MEN’S SPORTSCOAT that I snagged for $10 from a crinkly old man in the streets of the Vucciria market on my final day in Palermo. Each and every souvenir, a treasured memento of my many travels around Spain and Italy in 2022.

The full stash of mementos I managed to tote home from Spain and Italy

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