Viva L'Italia

UPDATED: Added some pictures

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Most triathlete blogs offer training updates and race reports.

Yeah, we don't have that going on around house 'o TriDi so you get a trip report instead. Possibly in multiple parts. Therein lies the similarity.

One of the big benefits of my grad school program is that, as an international program, it includes an international trip. Previous classes have been to Ireland and Denmark, and my class found out in August that we were going to Italy!!!

Italy is my dream trip. Scouter and I had planned a trip with my college roommate Jill and her husband Andy ten years ago. We talked about renting a villa in Tuscany for a week and a villa in the south of France for a second week. Shortly thereafter, I found out I was pregnant with Taz! So trip on hold indefinitely and a completely different type of excitement in store.

Fast forward - as soon as I heard "Italy" for school, I got in touch with Jill and Andy and we immediately started planning a trip in conjunction with my school trip. We spent a lot of time researching options and planning the trip. And by "we" I mean "Jill." They have spent a lot of time in Europe and really know what they're doing. Plus, they appreciate really good food and wine. Does it get better than that??? Scouter and I were up for whatever they suggested.

The first week was my school trip. In a nutshell, it was uncoordinated and poorly communicated which turned what should have been an amazing experience into an exercise in frustration. But I'll spare you the (many) annoying parts and give you the highlights. That's what I want to remember from the trip anyway.

We flew into Milan and arrived early Sunday morning. We were met by a tour bus which immediately took us to see Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper.

I had heard that the Last Supper was the thing to see in Milan but I have to say I didn't really get it... that is, until I saw it. It was amazing! Pictures of it don't do it justice at all. It is a fresco painted on the wall of a monastery. The poses and depth of it are fantastic. I was in awe. The fresco is painted on one side of the table because in the room, the monks' tables were setup around the room with the Last Supper as the head table.

Next we went to see the Duomo which is the fourth largest cathedral in the world, the Galleria and a castle. All very cool. But as my friend Dave noted, "even the military gives soldiers water."

But anyway.

That night, we had a welcome dinner. We showed up and the restaurant staff started bringing dishes. We got to try a number of different specialties, enjoy some Italian wine, and relax. It was very nice.

The next day we visited a supercomputing center and an Internet search engine provider. Both very cool, but one in Bologna and one in Milan (three hours apart) which made for a very long day. We got back to the hotel late (maybe 7:30 or 8) and a lot of people were making plans to go to dinner. I was exhausted, so I opted to hit the fitness center for a brief run on the treadmill, a shower, and bed! That turned out to be my only workout of the trip so it's good that I fit at least one in... since I took all that crap with me.

Tuesday, we visited a private university outside of Rome. The speakers were great and it was cool to see how the university system works in Italy. It is very different and far less sophisticated than ours. Then we boarded a high speed train to head to Rome.

This trip became immediately entertaining when Terry and I attempted to find a bathroom in the train station. It had bars and we couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, after being yelled at in incomprehensible Italian by the bathroom attendant man, we figured out that we had to pay to enter. We scrambled to the side to dig for change. Terry was finally able to enter; I kept putting a euro in the machine but it kept coming back out. Finally I figured out that I needed exact change. Who knew peeing was so damn complicated??? I entered the bathroom and while I was waiting, the bathroom attendant started yelling in the room again. I think he was trying to point me to more stalls in the back. Then we couldn't figure out how to get out of the room. Throughout the whole experience we were laughing hysterically. Which set us up for a fun trip...

I was not particularly looking forward to a five hour train ride. But I have to say it was oddly one of the most fun parts of the trip. I got to sit in a little pod with some of my buddies. We had some good conversation for awhile... and then we decided to head to the bar car. We snagged my girl Terry on the way, and we came back loaded up for the rest of the trip. Before you know it, we had pulled some other friends over to our section and the party was ON. We had an absolute blast.

And Jodi you'll love this part - we were being really loud and created a crowded section, and so in an effort to salvage the sorry reputation of the American tourist, we started toasting Canada and talking about how great Vancouver University is (since many of us were wearing VCU garb). Fortunately the poor innocent bystanders closest to us found us entertaining.

It's at this point that I realize I really need to insert pictures. Yes I'm quick. But that will have to come another day; otherwise this post may never happen.

In Rome, we had a welcome dinner at the hotel. It was okay.

Wednesday morning, we had tickets for a Papal Audience which was in Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City and attended by thousands - like maybe 12 - 15,000? With thousands more in the area. The Pope rode the popemobile through the area and came within 10 feet of us! The Papal Audience is interesting as each Cardinal welcomes groups from his part of the world, in the appropriate language. Our Cardinal welcomed students and faculty from our school, and the Pope blessed us, our children and loved ones. You know who you are! Did you ever think you'd be blessed by the Pope through... me?!?!?!? I'm pretty sure my in-laws didn't!

After than we had a short driving tour through Rome to see many famous sites like the Coliseum. It is really odd to see people nonchalantly strolling past this amazing ruin but I guess it becomes an every day occurrence for people. Then we went to another university where the two presenters were clearly in competition with each other to the extend that they couldn't communicate a message. I was falling asleep in the back of the room.

Wednesday night, thankfully, we had free time. I went to the Hotel Eden with some friends and hangers-on to watch sunset from what is said to be the best spot in Rome and then we had a nice dinner. And wine.

Thursday was another very long day but actually worth it. We took the bus to Pompeii (three hours south of Rome) and had a tour of the ruins. They were amazing. Apparently there is a historical fiction book called Pompeii that I now have to read. After Pompeii we headed to nearby Naples for a business visit to a cruise line and in the pouring rain, Naples looked like a pit. I would not want to go back. But after the visit we had a cool dinner at a local pizzeria where we had the option to make our own pie - which I so totally did! I went back to the kitchen and slapped my own dough around, lathered on some sauce, cheese and basil and popped that bad boy in the brick oven. Naples is the originator of pizza and man was it good! We finally returned to Rome at midnight. Yawn...

Friday, it was back to the Vatican for a visit with their IT staff. We met the priest who runs the Telecommunications department and saw the cute little old nuns who work in the call center in eight languages.

Friday afternoon, I met Scouter!!!!, Jill and Andy.

More to come...

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