Hey everybody,
Well... this is something. For those of you that may not have known, Dawn and I were in Italy from mid-February to early March. Yes, that Italy. Usually the first thing that I think of when I return from a vacation is where I'm going to have my next vacation, but now I'm just wondering *when* I'm going to have my next vacation. I'm not quite sure what to say about our three weeks in Europe during that particular moment in time. I was so happy to just get away from work and the house, and it was the first time in 2.5 years that Dawn and I were able to take a vacation together. I'd been wanting to see my family, and to see my brother Stefano and his family's B&B outside of Lucca. I'd been wanting to see Carnevale again and share that experience with Dawn. I'd been wanting to go to Napoli and see Pompeii. I'd been wanting to finally visit Prague. We did all those things and yet it was... weird.
You don't expect the backdrop of your vacation to be the buildup of a global pandemic. When we first arrived in Italy, there were comments and discussions about Coronavirus, but folks were treating it more as a punch line to a joke than anything else. We had our temperature screened when we landed but it was more of a laugh than anything else. Carnevale went on as it always does, the weather posing more of a threat to festivities than any virus. We took the train to Napoli to meet Mark, visited Pompeii, ate real pizza and drank real espresso. Day by day, though, the news got worse and worse. On the train ride back from Napoli, the screens flashed periodic updates on Coronavirus safety. We commiserated with Stefano that this was all overblown and it would hurt their nascent B&B business. At first, the authorities encouraged people not to overreact or panic. A few days later, entire villages in the north were being shut down and put into quarantine. By the end of our second week there, my niece's school was closed and the B&B's bookings had dried up. We questioned whether we would be let into the Czech Republic for our trip to Prague, or if we would be let back into Italy if we left. Italian hospitals in the north began to fill up. Older people started dying. By the time our last few days of vacation rolled around, Dawn and I worried that our flight would be among those cancelled and that we would be stuck abroad on lockdown for who knows how long. What began with ridicule turned to concern and then to anxiety, not only for us but for the whole country it seemed. It was not exactly a backdrop for the relaxing vacation we'd hoped for, but in spite of the circumstances we tried to make the most of it.
One of the reasons we decided on a February trip was so Dawn could experience Carnevale and we didn't miss out on that. Patrizia (my stepmom) dug a couple of costumes out of boxes so we could join the 80,000 people wandering along Viareggio's seaside promenade; eating, drinking, singing and dancing while gazing at 4-story mechanized papier-mache floats making their way down the street. It's truly a unique experience that takes place over four weeks before lent, with five days dedicated to parades and with different parts of the city throwing nighttime parties throughout. It's very difficult to describe the spectacle in pictures, so I posted as many videos as seem reasonable. Still, the scale, the choreography, the exuberance and the general air of happiness are impossible to capture in a digital medium. We went to the parades twice, bookended around our trip to Napoli so that Mark could also experience Carnevale. We saw fireworks, we drank, we danced, we ate cuttlefish and chard risotto, and Mark and I ended up in a mosh pit during a punk/ska performance of Viareggio carnevale songs.
Right, so I said Napoli. Within an hour of arriving we ate pizza at Da Michele and saw a dead body in the street. The next morning we had a legit Neapolitan espresso so that completed the Napoli trifecta. Mark is in love with this city and has been there half a dozen times. It's easy to understand why, with its mix of history, beauty, grittiness and wonderful food... not to mention the ruins of Pompeii. We stayed with Luigi at the Palazzo Bevilacqua where we were provided with fresh pastries every morning like sfogliatelle and baba. We took the funicular up to Castel Sant' Angelo for views of the bay and the entire city then roamed along the Spanish quarter. Napoli is a dirty city, with piles of garbage, lots of soot and plenty of dog poop to go around. Did I mention the dead body? Anyhow, there is so much to offer that you can get past all that, and I haven't even talked about Pompeii yet. My love for ancient cities is well-documented (see Ephesus, Rome, etc.), and Pompeii was no different. Nothing I'm going to write here is going to do a better job describing this marvel than what you will find through a cursory search on the internet, so I'm just going to say that modern-day humans are arrogant morons. We think anything before computers was the dark ages, yet here is a city from almost 2000 years ago that had everything any human being would need to live a fulfilling life.
After returning to Viareggio and once Carnevale was over, Dawn and I retreated for a few days into the countryside to stay at La Casa di Alice, my family's B&B located outside of Lucca. Yes, this is the part where I shill for my family. I'm not even going to say anything... I'll include links to Tripadvisor and Booking.com reviews and you can judge for yourself. If you want to spend a couple of days hiking, biking or just relaxing in the Tuscan hills you should check it out. 15 minutes to Lucca, 15 minutes to the beach, beautiful views and excellent food. No, Stefano will not bake a pizza for you in his wood-burning oven. Family only.
Before heading to Prague, my cousin forwarded me an article that they were taking special care to screen travelers coming from Italy. We thought our flight might be cancelled, but our experience was quite the opposite. After landing we didn't even have our temperature checked, we were simply handed a flyer that described the symptoms and that was it. At times I enjoy being contrary, but in this instance I'm going to join the chorus and say that Prague should be visited. Prague gives Paris a run for its money for most beautifully lit city by night. We stayed in the old town and walked everywhere we wanted to go. People were friendly, English is spoken everywhere and prices are reasonable. We lucked out with crystal clear skies, which we took advantage of by climbing to the top of Petrin Tower for 360 degree hilltop views of the entire city. We strolled through Prague Castle which was still surprisingly crowded, though I can't imagine how late February crowds compare to those at the peak of summer. The food and beer were excellent and three days went by too quickly. We spent the better part of a day touring the Jewish quarter, its striking/spooky/jagged cemetery and several synagogues. When I sit down to write these stories, I always think about how to make something enjoyable to read through humor, or sarcasm, or relating an anecdote. None of that applies here, so I'll only say that if you go to Prague you need to visit the Jewish quarter and see the names on the Pinkas synagogue walls. Nobody enjoys putting themselves through an experience that can be emotionally turbulent, but there are events in history that should never and can never be forgotten. Put yourself through it to remember, and take something back with you as a keepsake. I bought a small clay golem.
Our last few days were spent in Viareggio with family, enjoying their company and their food while fighting low-level anxiety about the heightening of this pandemic. We watched a few parody videos about how the news had exaggerated the threat, but there was a more serious edge than there had been when we arrived. Over 25% of flights were cancelled the week we departed, and Italy went on lockdown only 3 days after we left. We weren't sure what to expect going through customs in San Francisco, but the officer seemed more concerned about whether or not I was accurately cataloguing the gifts I had brought back than the fact that we had just returned from a virus hotspot. He did not even ask us where we flew in from... we volunteered that information. We were waved through without checking our temperature or any further instructions, and took it upon ourselves to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Folks, before I leave you I'd like to talk about the greatest cocktail ever invented: the Negroni. The hipsters got a hold of it a few years ago so chances are you already know what it is, for better or for worse. Viareggio is the home of the first ever Negroni club (Club del Negroni) and bar, where they make over a dozen variations of the cocktail as well as Negroni-based dinners. As huge fans of this drink, Dawn and I made a point to visit this strangely artistic hole-in-the wall, and if you're ever in Viareggio you should too. The owners are more than happy to wax poetic about their unsuccessful attempts at launching clubs all over the world, and to share their experiences creating all sorts of Negroni concoctions (try the Negroni beer). While in Prague, we stumbled upon another "Negroni club" which, while lacking the charm of the original, still served Negroni which, honestly, is the bare minimum required to operate a Negroni club. Good enough for us. We also capped off our vacation with a housemade Negroni provided by Il Bresci (my dad). Whatever it lacked in flavor was made up for in enthusiasm. By the way, through extensive research I have determined that the best Negroni is made with Dutch Courage gin and Cocchi vermouth with a couple of dashes of orange bitters.
I hope the pictures are as fun for you to view as they were for us to snap (see link below to album). Also, thank you moms for watching the dogs!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FpJ7Ebn8xdWhbb2C9
Take 'er easy,
Dave
Epilogue: I am writing this in early July and I just received the results from a blood test. Sure enough I have Covid antibodies although strangely Dawn's results came back negative. Can't say that I'm too surprised about testing positive... we were in Italy for 3 weeks and went to a party with 80,000 people. When we left in mid-February, Covid was more of a shoulder shrug than an exclamation point. Now we know better and I consider myself lucky that I'm healthy and lucky that my family is doing fine. This disease has killed and will kill a lot of people. Wear your fucking mask please.
Well... this is something. For those of you that may not have known, Dawn and I were in Italy from mid-February to early March. Yes, that Italy. Usually the first thing that I think of when I return from a vacation is where I'm going to have my next vacation, but now I'm just wondering *when* I'm going to have my next vacation. I'm not quite sure what to say about our three weeks in Europe during that particular moment in time. I was so happy to just get away from work and the house, and it was the first time in 2.5 years that Dawn and I were able to take a vacation together. I'd been wanting to see my family, and to see my brother Stefano and his family's B&B outside of Lucca. I'd been wanting to see Carnevale again and share that experience with Dawn. I'd been wanting to go to Napoli and see Pompeii. I'd been wanting to finally visit Prague. We did all those things and yet it was... weird.
You don't expect the backdrop of your vacation to be the buildup of a global pandemic. When we first arrived in Italy, there were comments and discussions about Coronavirus, but folks were treating it more as a punch line to a joke than anything else. We had our temperature screened when we landed but it was more of a laugh than anything else. Carnevale went on as it always does, the weather posing more of a threat to festivities than any virus. We took the train to Napoli to meet Mark, visited Pompeii, ate real pizza and drank real espresso. Day by day, though, the news got worse and worse. On the train ride back from Napoli, the screens flashed periodic updates on Coronavirus safety. We commiserated with Stefano that this was all overblown and it would hurt their nascent B&B business. At first, the authorities encouraged people not to overreact or panic. A few days later, entire villages in the north were being shut down and put into quarantine. By the end of our second week there, my niece's school was closed and the B&B's bookings had dried up. We questioned whether we would be let into the Czech Republic for our trip to Prague, or if we would be let back into Italy if we left. Italian hospitals in the north began to fill up. Older people started dying. By the time our last few days of vacation rolled around, Dawn and I worried that our flight would be among those cancelled and that we would be stuck abroad on lockdown for who knows how long. What began with ridicule turned to concern and then to anxiety, not only for us but for the whole country it seemed. It was not exactly a backdrop for the relaxing vacation we'd hoped for, but in spite of the circumstances we tried to make the most of it.
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| With my brother Stefano at Carnevale |
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| Pizzas at Da Michele |
After returning to Viareggio and once Carnevale was over, Dawn and I retreated for a few days into the countryside to stay at La Casa di Alice, my family's B&B located outside of Lucca. Yes, this is the part where I shill for my family. I'm not even going to say anything... I'll include links to Tripadvisor and Booking.com reviews and you can judge for yourself. If you want to spend a couple of days hiking, biking or just relaxing in the Tuscan hills you should check it out. 15 minutes to Lucca, 15 minutes to the beach, beautiful views and excellent food. No, Stefano will not bake a pizza for you in his wood-burning oven. Family only.
Before heading to Prague, my cousin forwarded me an article that they were taking special care to screen travelers coming from Italy. We thought our flight might be cancelled, but our experience was quite the opposite. After landing we didn't even have our temperature checked, we were simply handed a flyer that described the symptoms and that was it. At times I enjoy being contrary, but in this instance I'm going to join the chorus and say that Prague should be visited. Prague gives Paris a run for its money for most beautifully lit city by night. We stayed in the old town and walked everywhere we wanted to go. People were friendly, English is spoken everywhere and prices are reasonable. We lucked out with crystal clear skies, which we took advantage of by climbing to the top of Petrin Tower for 360 degree hilltop views of the entire city. We strolled through Prague Castle which was still surprisingly crowded, though I can't imagine how late February crowds compare to those at the peak of summer. The food and beer were excellent and three days went by too quickly. We spent the better part of a day touring the Jewish quarter, its striking/spooky/jagged cemetery and several synagogues. When I sit down to write these stories, I always think about how to make something enjoyable to read through humor, or sarcasm, or relating an anecdote. None of that applies here, so I'll only say that if you go to Prague you need to visit the Jewish quarter and see the names on the Pinkas synagogue walls. Nobody enjoys putting themselves through an experience that can be emotionally turbulent, but there are events in history that should never and can never be forgotten. Put yourself through it to remember, and take something back with you as a keepsake. I bought a small clay golem.Our last few days were spent in Viareggio with family, enjoying their company and their food while fighting low-level anxiety about the heightening of this pandemic. We watched a few parody videos about how the news had exaggerated the threat, but there was a more serious edge than there had been when we arrived. Over 25% of flights were cancelled the week we departed, and Italy went on lockdown only 3 days after we left. We weren't sure what to expect going through customs in San Francisco, but the officer seemed more concerned about whether or not I was accurately cataloguing the gifts I had brought back than the fact that we had just returned from a virus hotspot. He did not even ask us where we flew in from... we volunteered that information. We were waved through without checking our temperature or any further instructions, and took it upon ourselves to self-quarantine for two weeks.
I hope the pictures are as fun for you to view as they were for us to snap (see link below to album). Also, thank you moms for watching the dogs!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FpJ7Ebn8xdWhbb2C9
Take 'er easy,
Dave
Epilogue: I am writing this in early July and I just received the results from a blood test. Sure enough I have Covid antibodies although strangely Dawn's results came back negative. Can't say that I'm too surprised about testing positive... we were in Italy for 3 weeks and went to a party with 80,000 people. When we left in mid-February, Covid was more of a shoulder shrug than an exclamation point. Now we know better and I consider myself lucky that I'm healthy and lucky that my family is doing fine. This disease has killed and will kill a lot of people. Wear your fucking mask please.
