294 Steps....Pisa, Italy

294 steps.
294 steps to the top.
294 steps to the top of one of the most well known monuments in the world.
I have to say that this is one of the biggest WOW moments for me on this journey through Italy. I never knew I could have known I would walk around a corner, through a Roman archway and there it was. In all of the pictures and stories we grow up with, you never really hear about the Baptistry and Cathedral right next to the tower.
It's just a bell tower right? It isn't the only one in Italy. Why does this one get such special attention? I mean it started to lean three stories into the construction phase because it was not put on a solid piece of land. Then it

Halfway there

 was left to sit for 200 years while the locals went to beat up everyone around them. It was that simple twist of fate that allowed to tower to settle enough to continue construction. So instead of trying to tear it down and rebuild, they decided to continue the other five stories and tilt them the oposite direction to make it seem straighter. Seems like a logical solution to the problem. (In Idaho philosophy maybe) What has been created is a structure that has captured the imagination and heart of many people from around the world.
After some work, and a good cleaning, you can now climb up to the top of the tower with an admission ticket and a specific time to get in line. So that is just what we did. After weaving through the rows of vendors and others taking the famous "pushing over the tower" picture, we made it to the base of the tower for our epic ascent.

Cathedral, Baptistry, and Tower

This is where we scan our tickets, go in the stairway and turn left. From there it is a crooked, spiraling, unbalanced climb. The walls are never more than about 3 to 4 feet wide. There are only one set of stairs so you meet climbers going up and down going sideways. The stairs and the entire tower are made of marble and the steps are worn to a polished groove in the middle. Some are bigger steps, some are smaller, and you feel like you are learning to walk all over again. Before the third turn around the tower you can definitely feel the "lean" and your balance is tested as there are no railings to hold onto. About halfway to the top, you have the chance to take a look out at the view and assess your progress. At this point, you can make the decision to stay or go to the top.

I feel bad for the guy who has to
 run up the stairs to ring these bells. 

A view from the top! 17 feet
off of center. You do feel a
little off balanced.

Well it is already a once in a lifetime opportunity, so might as well go for the gold. Returning to the stairways, we head ever upward in areas that become only shoulder width by the top.
294 steps.
294 steps to an amazing view of the Tuscan countryside. It is so worth the trip up. You can definitely see and feel the tilt of the tower. It is a 17 foot height difference from one side of the top to the other. So after this climb you almost forget what level feels like. After about 10 minutes it is time to conclude our time at the top. The next group of tourists are ready for their final climb to the top. So wibbly-wobbly down we went and as our little group of tourists descended, it was neat to hear most of us encourage those climbing up. "Almost There" and "It's Worth It" were heard ringing down the stairwells and I hope it helped to keep those brave few on the move to the top and their own view of a beautiful countryside.

Heading down for the next
adventure!

The day was good. The sites were amazing. We survived the Autostrada in our little Fiat to get there and in short it was worth every minute. So now I can officially say yes I have seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I can also say I have been inside it and up to the top of it and nobody can take that away from me.
What an awesome opportunity. What a testament to human ingenuity and to the people of Pisa to continue to build on a less than perfect base. Aren't we all a little less than perfect anyway? Just because we aren't perfect doesn't mean we don't have our own beauty and worth to grow and be stronger.
So I hope this tower stays standing for many years to come. Just the way it is. It gives me hope and is a visible reminder for me to settle and just be me. I have not been perfect every day of my life but there is still beauty inside me. Thank you Pisa for that big lesson.

Our Version of Pretty Woman....
Milan, Italy 2012

Before we began this evening in Milan, it was imperative to introduce Rebeca to the 1990 classic "Pretty Woman." I mean if you are going to do this you gotta do it right. So if you are not familiar with the movie, some of this may not make perfect sense but it is a good story none the less.
First we begun the adventure by scoring tickets to "Luisa Miller" by Verdi that was playing at La Scala.
Why would anybody be excited at going to an opera while on vacation you may ask? Well when it is in one of the most world renowned opera theaters from over the past 200 years, which has hosted some of the most famous works and artists of all time, then I think it is worth taking a timeout for this.
Part of the day was spent shopping Milan. Not much luck with that so we went back to our hotel early to rest for our evening out. I mentioned to the receptionist that we were going to the opera and she asked if we had dinner plans yet. I said no and she said she had a place to recommend for us that was close to the theater and had good food. Not only was she able to suggest it, she was able to call and reserve a table for us at this restaurant early enough that we could eat and make the opera on time. You must remember that in Italy, most eat at 8pm or after and to find a nice place at 6 or so in the evening is not easy. So with nothing but a business card with Il Marchesino written on it and a rough set of directions, we fancied ourselves up and took off for the evening.
While you would think that the opera would be the highlight of the night, for both of us it was the dinner before that really made our night. We found Il Marchesino right next to La Scala. We walked into a rather elegant dining area where the maitre d' was expecting us and escorted us to a table with linen tablecloth and plush red chairs. This was the kind of dinner where you had many forks to choose from and where they place the cloth napkin in your lap for you. As we decided on our food choices, we noticed the picture of a man holding up an egg on the wall behind us. Rebeca asked the maitre d' who that was.
To say he was shocked by the question would be an understatement. His eyes grew wide and he said, "why that is Chef Marchesi the owner of this restaurant! In fact he is sitting right over there tonight." That is when we looked over and saw a gentleman who had the undivided attention of all of the staff and chefs in the restaurant. If he took a breath, someone instantly was at his side to offer him something. We enjoyed our meal, watching the show at the other table for Chef Marchesi, and as we were served a divine final treat, Rebeca asked if one of the waiters could take our picture with the picture of the chef in the background. He said, "you know the chef is here tonight." We said that we did and he went off to speak with the maitre d'. Before we were finished, Chef Marchesi came out, shook our hands, and took a picture with us.
We thought that was pretty neat and took ourselves off to the beauty of La Scala. The performance went well. Box seats in a beautiful theater. A tale of romance, misunderstanding, and tragic death were the themes of the night.
It wasn't until a day or two after the performance that I had a chance to look up who this Chef Marchesi was.
For those of you in the culinary know, he is a Michelin Star winner many times over. One of the highest awards you can be given. He is known as the Godfather of new Italian cuisine, fusing French, Japanese, and Italian flavors together with amazing success. Several of his proteges now run the top restaurants in Italy. Although he does not personally do much of the cooking anymore, he likes to be a part of his restaurants and conduct his orchestra of chefs. He has a very musical family and in a way, he feels that his cooking is an orchestra of flavors. I cannot disagree with that attitude or flare for life. He has won more awards than I can mention. Look him up if you are interested. It just goes to show that sometimes the highlight of an evening can come when you least expect it.
Who knew that two box seats to an opera would turn out to be a parallel from a Hollywood film.  Sadly no Richard Gere character for me in the end, but I will take what I can get. What I got was a terrific memory.

The List

As my part of this European vacation has come to an end, it is time to let the blogging begin. I figure it is best to start from the ending. So on our last night in Rome, Rebeca and I went through some of our best and worst times throughout Europe. You will notice several food categories but what can I say? You have to eat and we might as well refine our pallet a little along the way. Most of all I want to say thank you to Rebeca and Kim for introducing me to some amazing European adventures that are truly unforgettable in my life. So without further embellishment, here is our List (Open to revision later).

Commercial break as I find the list....And we're back!

Non food categories and winners:

The Best Scenic View........................Austria
The Nicest Bathroom........................Best Western 4 star hotel in Milan
Scariest Transportation Moment.......Montecatini Bed and Breakfast first time up the road.
Best Shopping...................................Rome
Best Unexpected Moment..................Meeting Chef Marchesi in Milan and exploring Lucca Italy.
Best WOW Moment.................Rebeca~Trevi Fountain in Rome, Melissa~Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Nicest Locals....................................Austria
Worst Traffic.....................................Rome (Although Florence was up there)
Cleanest Train..................................Austria
Worst Train......................................TrenItalia in general
Most Fun Activity..............................Rodelbahn in Kaprun Austria
Most Relaxing Moment.....................Montecatini Spa
Hotest Italian Men............................Rebeca~Lucca, Melissa~Rome
Hotest Austrian Men.........................Vienna
Rebeca's Most Shocking Moment......Attempted pickpocketing in Austria by a male/female duo.
Attracting the most Freaks, Street Vendors, and Petitioners.......Melissa
Most Random Moment.....................Meeting an Italian guy at Hard Rock in Rome speaking Korean
                                                         and who is waiting for a new Hard Rock to open in Korea so he 
                                                         can work there. 
Most Awkward/Scariest Moment.......Melissa~Awkward moment at Montecatini Spa Rebeca~ Scariest
                                                         moment getting a taxi late at night in Milan. (Really Late)
Best Musical Experience................... Austria

....and now to the food....

Best Water (a necessity in all food areas)...... Austria
Best Parma Ham and Melon.........................Venice
Best Bread/Sandwich.....................................Germany
Best Tiramisu.................................................Milan (The strawberries sent it over the top!)
Best Gelato....................................................Milan
Best Pizza.......................................................Rome
Best Spaghetti................................................Francesca's at Montecatini B&B
Best Slushy.....................................................Happy Puppy in Rome (Plus Free Refills)
Rebeca's Mmmmm Moment............................Zuppeta in Colle de Buggiano (She was SO quiet)
Melissa's Mmmmm Moment............................Bruschetta in Milan.

All winners are subject for debate but we stand by our decisions! Luckily I have three new recipes now to work with so I can start making some really good Italian food.

Congratulations to all the winners...there were several great candidates in each area. Thanks to all of them for participating.