The People of France -- Who Ever Said the French Were Unfriendly?

A Charming Small Park in Paris 

When discussing  our recent stay in France, people have too often said to me "but the French are so rude, unfriendly."  This is an unfortunate perception that has clung to the French for many Americans like those horrible adhesive labels you can't  remove from a recent purchase.  Too frequently those who have held this opinion in their minds and hearts have never been to France or visited only briefly on one of those tourists' jolts through Europe.

French Lady feeds birds near Notre Dame

As an example of their "rudeness" one fellow American related a story of how he was looking for the Opera in Paris, and asked someone on the street how to find it and he refused to answer.  I wondered. First, I noted how this fellow pronounced it "OP ER AH" with a strong midwestern accent.  Also, did he as many Americans tend to do, stand too close without any introduction in some basic "travel" French, and shout out his question.  Did it occur that the French person might have been frightened or rightfully perturbed by this approach? Wouldn't the same American  be equally taken back  if someone approached him on the street in the U.S. in an equally baffling way shouting in a foreign language?

I know it happened to me --  in France.  A large American woman not knowing who I was, or what language I spoke -- I don't tend to carry any clues with me and dress very inconspicuously -- came up to me, tapped me roughly on the shoulder, and  shouted a question at me in poor French.  I was so shaken by her approach that  by the time I composed myself she had walked away to trouble someone else.  Undoubtedly, I became part of the "rude" French.

Rene  Hotel Sainte-Pierre Saumur, France

Contrary to this, what we found, more so than ever on this trip, was that the French people are incredibly friendly and gracious.  I think there are a couple reasons for our experience.  One, we did take the time to think about our approach first in French..."bonjour, parlez-vous anglais" and no touching.... and softer voice.  The other has to do with a real  change we have noticed from years ago.... more French people especially in Paris speak at least some English and many younger French speak it very well.  This has gone along way to help improve communications and dissolve misunderstanding.

Kind Shopkeeper in Boulangerie in Paris

Bottom line, I can relate that we were greeted enthusiastically and treated very courteously by hoteliers like Rene above and the lovely young woman, Veronique below.   Rene, who I had exchanged emails with, exuberantly welcomed us outside the hotel and carried all our luggage personally into the hotel.  Several  French women took time to carefully redirect us when we were lost in one area of Paris or another.   Shopkeepers went out of their way to attempt conversations with me in my very awkward French.  Taxi drivers were polite and went over-the-top to point out attractions.   While there was the occasional gruffness or misunderstanding, where anywhere in the US doesn't that happen.  Overall, we felt welcomed and  longed to linger and certainly return again and hopefully again.

Veronique Hotel L'Addresse Paris

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Savoring the Beaune Market -- A Gastronomic Paradise

There is no doubt when I breeze through the many photos that I took while in France recently that "food" was definitely one of the major themes of my trip. And no wonder. Not only does the food in France taste better than in the U.S., and I truly believe it does, it looks so alluring. Whether it's the richness of colors and texture, the presentation or arrangement in a food stand or on a plate or just the food itself, the food in France is as dazzling to the eyes as it is to the tastebuds.

Perhaps this is why the French Market is such a attraction for tourists, even if timing doesn't permit a single purchase. While in recent years local markets are becoming more omnipresent in the US, the French market is still unique.  Americans see shopping at a local market as more of a novelty, the French (at least in the smaller towns) rely more on the markets for the weekly produce despite the growing presence of the supermarche. And the Beaune  market is a gem... with stand after stand of cheeses, sausages, fruits, vegetables, crafts, clothes and more.

We went in the rain.. a pleasant soft rain which helped carry the wonderful smells of roasting chicken, cheeses, and flowers. The stalls melded together through the shower in an impressionistic blur of color.

It was Saturday, Beaune's main market day. Visitors come from all around to taste and see the harvests of local farms, local aromatic Burgundian cheeses, tantalizing dried sausage, sweet freshly-picked lopes, and, of course, breads, wonderful, wonderful breads. The market on this rainy day bounced with umbrellas. And I suspect it was less congested than on a sunnier morning. However, we started our venture through the long winding cavalcade of delights under cover in the indoor part of the market -- the Halles.

Most French towns and large villages have a stationary covered market (marche couvert) frequently called "les Halles." The Halles in Beaune houses mostly the fresh meat, cheese, eggs..but some candies and fruits as well.

From here, you wander down a main artery of Beaune toward's the town's primary tourist attraction, the Hospices de Beaune, the medieval building which housed a hospital for the poor. (Definitely worth a visit while in Beaune.) Vendors anxious for you to notice and perhaps buy their wares offer tastes of incredible cheeses, fruits and other savories as you meander past their stalls.

It only takes a few visits to these traditional local markets with their abundance of fresh, local meats and produce to appreciate the heritage of this slower way of life. It also explains in many ways why food is France is so darn good.

Wanderings in France ...in one word delicious "diversity"

Just a brief post on coming home again after a month of travel... I've been remiss in not posting during my trip, but in trying to pack in as much as possible during the day, I found it difficult to miss a moment of wandering to sit and write..

France is a feast for the senses.... the sights, the smells, the tastes, the sounds....  For weeks we wandered -- walking, climbing, walking, climbing absorbing these sensations. We..

Ascended the steps in Montmartre to Sacre Coeur...

Waited in line at Berthillon for ice cream on Ile St. Louis....

Watched tourists taking photos of giant bubbles near the Beaubourg...

Watched tourists taking photos everywhere..

Peered through the golden gate at Versailles ...

Marveled at a medieval buildings.... (this one Medieval Hospital in Beaune):

Roamed through miles of underground wine caves:

Rambled aimlessly through the rooms of many, many chateaux...

Visited a piece of America on French soil...

My lasting impression from a month in France is  in one word...diversity.  On any given evening we  would be mingled in a Paris cafe with Ghanians, Italians, New Yorkers, Chinese, Germans, Algerians and, of course, some Parisians.   On the block where we stayed in Paris, there were Indian, Chinese, Italian, Moroccan, Japanese, and two French restaurants, for one of which, a steak and frites joint,  people queued every night down the street to get a table.

And on just about every block in Paris and in the small French towns we visited,  patisserie windows bedazzled with tormentingly diverse selections of delicacies luring you like the Sirens did another traveler.

We roamed the neighborhoods of Paris through centuries of architecture, art, music and culture -- from the ancient alleys of the left bank and isles in the Seine to the ultra-modern towers of La Defense, from the small wine towns of Burgundy through the Loire Valley to Normandy.  Every day we tried to see and taste and hear all we could.   And along the way the genuine joy of living cascaded over us like an immense waterfall.   

Exploring Lake Como - Varenna - A Less Trodden Gem Glimmering on the Lake

Best explored by the boats which skim atop the glistening blue-green water, Lake Como offers  a cornucopia of vistas including 17th and 18th century villas poking up here and there on the various promontories about the lake, backdrops of frequently snow-topped craggy mountains,  gardens which roll down the hillsides in carpets of color, and many enchanting villages.  The boats are easy to navigate and allow you to visit many of the lake's tiny ancient hamlets whose hilly streets and byways can be roamed for hours visiting shops, beautiful old churches and chapels, terrace restaurants, and much more.

If you have to choose among the towns, make one of your choices a stop at Varenna.  It's fairly easy to get to and is less touristy than Bellagio (although I wouldn't pass this up either.)   There are ferries with frequent stops there from Bellagio, Menaggio, Lenno  and Tremezzo.  On our last trip, we stayed near Tremezzo and took the ferry boat from there to Bellagio, then Varenna and from Varenna back to Tremezzo with a stop at Villa Carlotta.

Varenna's origins date back to Roman times.  Built in the 5th century at the foot of a mountain which rises precipitously almost vertical behind it, Varenna is a picturesque old fishing village with a lovely little harbor featuring views of Bellagio in the distance.

Once disembarqing from the ferry,  make sure you stop at the Information Booth at the Harbor for a map and ask where it's best to climb to the upper town. You can first walk around the island partially on a platform which has been built into the side of the mountain passing under a percola bursting with flowers. A large terrace sprawls under the hillside at one juncture, where you can stop for delightful crepes or Italian sandwich or bruschetta.  (Interestingly enough bruschetta in this area is different than in Tuscany.  It comes on larger slices of toasted bread...quite good but not the bite-sized crostini you might be used to.)

We climbed to the upper town up flat stone steps near the terrace restaurant. Here we visited the parish church San Giorgio, consecrated in 1313 but enriched several times in later centuries once to include large fresco portraying Saint Christopher. Nearby we were attracted to one of Varenna's hotels and wandered into the Hotel Royal Victoria with its panoramic views of the lake from a restaurant terrace. This lovely villa hotel was named after Queen Victoria who visited there in 1838.

In addition to a stopover on a lake journey, Varenna would be a good place to locate during a stay on Lake Como. For more hotel information: http://italianlakesholidays.net/varenna-hotels-guide/

Another place to visit (if time permits) in Varenna is generally known as Villa dei Cipressi (Villa of Cypresses) with its garden of trees that terraces towards the lake.

19th Century Travel Book with Charming Notes on Visiting the 5 famous Chateaux in the Loire Valley of France

While researching an upcoming trip to France I came upon pages from a compilation of old travel narratives done for the Nation Magazine in the 19th century. In there was a charming piece though full of misspellings on visiting the five major chateaux of the Touraine (the former province of France in the Loire Valley) where the Kings of France built castles in the middle ages that were later converted or rebuilt into Renaissance chateaux. The five chateaux discussed are among the ones most visited and mentioned in today's travel guides: Chenonceaux, Amboise, Chaumont, Blois and Chambord.

Here are the first few pages of the article...






And for the entire book:

A Traveler Doesn't Do A Place --- Can you Do Florence and Be Done with It? No, You Discover and Experience Great Places Again and Again

I cringe when I hear someone say "Oh I've done Rome or I've done London."

But it was only a few weeks ago that someone said to me as I was effusing on Florence...."Oh I've done Florence"....and I finally stopped short and looked straight into her nonchalant eyes and asked what that meant.

"You know I've seen David, the Uffizi.."

I thought for a moment.....well David was a good answer....seeing David in Florence is a very defining moment...a moment a true traveler never forgets.  When I first went to Florence I wandered endlessly around David gawking at his magnificence from every angle...and still I think of that moment when I first caught a glimpse of him with the awe of a child first seeing a snowflake.  The Uffizi wasn't a bad answer either...I thought...as I recalled climbing its magnificent staircase and floating from room to room marveling at the original Botticelli's Birth of Venus, the one I'd seen duplicated everywhere, gaping at the DaVinci's, roaming the Uffizi's sculpture galleries and, from it's windows, beholding one of the most incredible and recognizable sights in the world -- the view of the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio with the fading backdrop of the rooftops of Florence.  Ah perspective!

But doing Florence...is Florence ever done?  Couldn't it's Renaissance streets be wandered for endless hours.  What about the food markets with redder than red tomatoes, more varieties of pasta than I've ever seen anywhere, and the luscious looking meats. And shopping -- window along Tournabuoni and then discovering little shops everywhere with amazing things like incredible paper and leather concoctions and perfumes.  And oh let's not forget the food...and wine.  Tiny little cafes, gelato shops, pizzerias, wine bars abounding.  One night a cheap pizza in a cute bar in the Oltrano on the other size of the Arno....another time, a dish of unspeakable pasta in little cafe on a back street near the Medici Chapels just visited, and then of course, a Florentine steak, reminiscent of the "Old 96er" that  John Candy devoured in the "Great Outdoors" only I am certain much, much better, at one of the many impeccably designed, chique ristoranti.

And Florence has neighborhoods and piazza after piazza with their own distinct charms and interests.   Of course, I personally could explore the art of Florence forever...in its countless churches and tucked away in unexpected places, and the city itself -- a work of art.   Specific places to visit...read my blog...I've already covered some...more to come.   But Florence as any great city in the world is more than about places to see, its about exploration, discovery... it's about being somewhere where great people who contributed much to the way we live and enjoy life today walked and lived their lives.

Would Galileo, daVinci, Michelangelo, the Medici, Fra Angelico, Giotto ever have said "Oh, I've done Florence."  Of course, the realities are you may not have the time or money to spend as much physical time in any one place that you might like to...but realize that even if your time is brief...you need to take it in.. absorb it and experience it again and again through reading, film art whatever.....

And please, don't tell me that you've done Florence.  She is never done, I am sure of that.

Not to miss -- the Brancacci Chapel and Masaccio part of Florence's Living Art Textbook

Studying art without visiting Florence is like learning to read without a book. Being in Florence is being in a living textbook of art history. At times the amount of beauty and art is so overwhelming that it becomes difficult to focus as you become lost in whirlpool of color, impressions, and texture. That is why it is important if your trip to Italy, and in particularly Florence, is in part to learn about and view the art, and it seems silly to suggest that it wouldn't be, that you decide ahead what art you want to focus on and know the places to find it.

Of course, you will go to the Uffici, but that is a book in it's own right. You may as I did want to explore, in a smaller space, some of the very early Renaissance artists -- the innovators who were the first to start depicting people, not as stiff, flat caricatures, but as living, emotive beings. Masaccio is certainly one of these. And it is because of Masaccio's work there that a little chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence has been well-trodden over centuries by an endless stream of art students, masters and enthusiasts. While gazing at the walls in the Brancacci Chapel, your eyes will see what helped inspire Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo and many others.

We crossed the Arno early in the morning for the short 20-minute pilgrimage through the medieval streets where Masaccio once roamed. We had called the day before for reservations, which are mandatory, and arrived at the Piazza del Carmine about 15 minutes prior to our scheduled appointment. The large, unfinished, stone-faced facade, of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, loomed before us in stark contrast to the dazzling interior of the Chapel, whose entrance is tucked away to the right of the the church.

Prior to visiting the Chapel, we took in the 40-minute film reviewing the history of the church, the chapel and its magnificent frescos. This is well worth the time...the animated view of the panels within the chapel make for a much more enlightened visit of this Renaissance masterpiece.

The Chapel itself is tiny, and for that reason, self-tours are limited to 20 minutes . The works most of which tell the story of St. Peter were created by three artists Masaccio, Masolino and some Filippino Lippi (son of the more famous Filippo Lippo). While all the tableaus are notable, it's the Massaccio frescos that stun, especially if you realize that prior to these creations, the art world was for the most part, flat and emotionless.

You need only study what is viewed by some as the first modern painting, one that places people in a real setting with one station point, the "Tribune Money," to make your trip over the Arno worthwhile. The human beings, Masaccio depicted, using painting techniques novel for the time to create an illusion of three-dimensional space, bring you into the scene. Also, note the painstaking blending of midtones, shadows and highlights to create the flow of the silken garments, important perhaps considering Branacci, Masaccio's patron was a silk merchant. The politics of early 15th century Florence are also reflected in "Tribune Money." A new tax system to help support a war with the duke of Milan was raging, and the story of the painting provided a precedent for the debate on whether the clergy should be taxed.

Below is an outline of the frescos. The red blocks are works by Masaccio, the yellow, Masolino, the purple both Masaccio and Lippi, and the blue Lippi.

1. "Expulsion from Paradise" -- An astonishing depiction of the anguish of the first human beings after being deported from the Garden of Eden.

2. "Tribune Money"

3. "Raising of the Son of Theophilous and the Enthronement of St. Peter"

4. "Saint Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow"

5. "Saint Peter Baptizing Neophytes"

6. "Distribution of Alms and Death of Ananias"

Florence, Italy tweeps I follow:

arttrav

tuscanycious

katerinafiore

tuscanytourism

discovertuscany

abouttuscany

Lake Orta -- A Travel Story Best Told in Images

Our trip to Lake Orta, a mystical journal to one of the sub-Alpine Italy lake districts, is, like many travel stories one best told in flickering images:

A dog sitting on the ancient stone floor of a shop. An island floating in the middle of the lake lit up like the flickering candles on a cake in the mist. Strains of an opera and soft tolling of church bells. Views down an ancient medieval passageway. Glimpses of a flower decked garden descending to the lake. A tiny 16th century church oratory built to honor deliverance from the Black Death. Narrow streets with ancient arches and tower homes. And always the Island from the shore, from the water always beckoning you like Bali Hai. And ultimately the voyage to and around that silent, sacred and enchanting place.

Images haunt forever and draw you back to this special place --

Arriving at the upper town of Orta San Giulio, I was reminded of many resorts in the mountains in the states. It was only when we descended on the circuiteous road to the San Rocco Hotel that historic Orta San Giulio began to reveal itself. The lobby and most of the hotel was formerly an 18th century convent, but our room was in the more modern, and recently renovated Villa Giseppi section of the hotel, which provided an extremely comfortable accommodation within this stunning historical setting.

Surprisingly untrodden for a destination within reasonably easy reach from Milan Airport, once the daytrippers who arrive early in the morning depart, Orta becomes amazingly quiet and serene -- at least it did in late August when we visited. While one of the best kept secrets among the northern lakeside resorts, it's cobbled streets have been walked by many famous travelers, including Honore de Balzac, Friedrich Nietzsche and Robert Browning, the later who described it as "Alp meets heaven.."

Truly a place to wander with it's traffic free center, you can easily get lost in time as you meander Orta San Giulio's streets and courtyards past 16th and 17th century frescoed buildings that now house unusual shops, gelaterias, and restaurants. We stopped to buy soaps from an ex-pat American lady who ran a shop on the Piazza, then spoke with the proprietor of a pasticceria and bought souveners at another shop tucked away in a charming courtyard. At the waterfront off the Piazza we watched as a bride posed for pictures with a backdrop of the Isola San Giulio.

From the waterfront, taxis whiz back and forth from Isola San Giulio with it's ancient basilica, on the site of a primative church founded by St. Julius in the 4th century ( the saint apparently chased snakes from the Island, sounds like the St. Patrick legend--no). Arriving on this isolated piece of land, you are immediately engulfed by its tranquility and sacredness. Meditative signs dot the short, silent walkway around the perimeter of the island blurting walden-like messages..."Every Journey Begins Near to You," "When You are Aware the Journey is Over".. (I think the author had the traveler in mind.) The steps to the the Basilica of St. Julius, which has been modified over the course of centuries, steer you to the church as soon as you disembark from the launch. As are many of the ancient churches of Italy, it is extraordinary and definitely worth exploring. We stopped for a coffee at a bar/restaurant-- Ristorante San Giulio. While the formal dining room looked inviting, we decided to return later and descend the steps to the terrace restaurant which juts into the Lake. Another one of those amazing places where we frittered away several hours watching the boats parade back and forth and the people come and go while enjoying the tourist meal -- 3 courses for 16 euros.

Our time at Lake Orta was too short. As I reflect on our visit there , I can easily see why it has been referred to as a "star in a galaxy of sub-alpine lakes." Orta quietly entraps you --- drawing you back to visit again and again.

There is a Lake Orta Tweep www.twitter.com/LakeOrta but not many tweets yet.

Also be sure to pick up the marvelous little booklet published by the Associaione Turistica Pro Loco Orta S. Giulio at via Bossi 11 in Orta S. Giulio. (Christmas on the Lake looks lovely with a parade of Christmas trees, lights and decorations.) Information in English can also be found at www.orta.net.

Seduced by An Enchanting Hotel Above the Hills of Florence -- Villa San Michele

It was a hot Sunday in Florence...very hot... but high above in the hills of Fiesole a pleasant breeze blew and birds tweeted incredibly entrancing songs. I had decided to visit Fiesole on my next trip to Florence after having read "Loving Frank," the fictionalized story about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. The descriptions of Fiesole and its appeal to Lloyd Wright and Cheney drew me there.

Some travel advisors say "skip it"...well perhaps if you only have a very short time in Florence. But for me, it would have been a mistake not to have seen this magnificent view and experienced for a few hours what attracted people like Lloyd Wright, Gertrude Stein, and other artistic people here. For afterall, you don't go to Fiesole for Fiesole, you go to see Florence spread before you in all its magnificance.

The tourbooks advise that one of the best places to enjoy the view from Fiesole is the small Parco della Rimembranza on Via di San Francesco, public gardens with benches, shady trees and a panoramic view. But I also wanted to visit the well-touted Villa San Michele situated on the site of a monastery founded in the early 15th century.

So we took a taxi from Florence and stopped by the Villa for lunch to sip cokes and nibble on lovely sandwiches on the terrace of one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever visited. The present building with its facade attributed to Michelangelo dates from 1600 when it was enlarged and renovated by Giovanni di Bartolommeo Davanzati. The property was owned by the Franciscan monks until 1818, when Napoleon dissolved monastic orders returning the Villa to secular use. One can imagine the monks walking the loggia of the then monastery and wandering through the now public rooms of the hotel. Inside the hotel, antique chairs, altars, stone walls, frescos and other religious artifacts all come together to create a sense of spiritual retreat somewhat at odds yet strangely compatible with the current purpose.

One of the public rooms that is used now as a lounge and informal dining space off the interior restaurant was the refectory of the old monastery. A magnificent fresco, completed in 1642, and later restored by Orient-Express Hotels, the current owner of the hotel, adorns the back wall in a three-part alcove. This is only one of the many interesting public spaces where you can sit quietly and read or write (as I noticed several hotel guests were doing.)

The guests rooms are either in the main building of the old monestary or in the new space blended into the setting in the garden area. There are also junior suites on the hillside between the garden and the pool and in the old Limonaia. The most coveted room I was told is the one situated in the former chapel with perhaps some of the most magnificent views.

I climbed up the hill near the small 17th century building to take some photos and get a glimpse of the view the hotel guest in the chapel might have. Ah I thought, some day I will stay here. From here I truly knew why Mamah Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright loved Fiesole so much.

Some tweeps I followed for Florence:

www.twitter.com/toscanamia -- for Italian Cooking Lessons in Florence

www.twitter.com/tuscanyvillas -- for Information on Florence

www.twitter.com/aroadretraveled for Information on Florence

www.twitter.com/TuscanyTourism

Another interesting blog article about Villa San Michelle.

Arriving in Venice

There is nothing as special as arriving at a travel destination....especially when it's Venice, Italy -- one the world's most beautiful cities. Here is a slide montage of photos I took while on a vaporetto on the Grand Canal.

Lunch with a View -- Visiting the Cipriani Hotel

Directly across the water from the Piazza San Marco in Venice on Isola della Giudecca, the Cipriani sits in its all its contrapuntal splendor of old and new. Contemporary amenities, including spa, red-clay tennis court, outdoor heated pool and modern accommodations have been seamlessly integrated into the remnants of a 16th century cloister. Reading the reviews of the hotel from recent visitors provide a schizophrenic picture...




Some complaint about the price, of course, in today's value conscious world, some have issues with a few rooms needing remodeling, but, then there are the raves about the service, the peace and tranquility, and, of course, the views. We didn't stay the night, but the afternoon was lovely, though expensive. Worth it, yes. But I went particularly to see the view and to experience the world the owner of Harry's Bar was trying to create...an oasis of peace and privacy within minutes and site of perhaps the most famous, photographed and beloved squares in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.


I never tire of arriving anywhere by boat, it always seems special. But arriving on an island in the Hotel Cipriani's launch is more than special, it is to enter for a moment the world of the privledged. It is also to enter the place that Harry created....and remarkably just as he envisioned, the first thing that is evident especially after leaving the hustle and bustle of St. Mark's Square is the quiet serernity.





After a morning of museums and shopping in Venice, wandering through Cipriani's garden and along the waterfront near the hotel was indescribably pleasant. And sipping prosecco on the flower-adorned terrace of the Cipriani's lovely restaurant, sheer bliss.

Arrived Milan, Luggage Did Not.. The Joys of Flying

Our journey begins--three weeks in Italy. After being deposited at the airport in Florida Monday night expecting to take a short flight to Atlanta at around 5 for our 10:55 overnight to Paris with a connection to Milan, we learned that our Florida connection had been delayed until 7:30 making it practically impossible to catch the Paris flight. Or so we and the Delta counter representative thought, which resulted in our being booked on another flight the following day at 10 p.m. direct to Milan, meaning a night and day in Atlanta. A day shot.

We took the bumpy commuter ride to Atlanta arriving, of course, with enough time to race to the gate of the Paris flight...only to see the plane sitting at the gate and to be told that the flight was closed. But magically we learn there is another flight to Paris in a half hour leaving from the same terminal we are in. We are assured by the agent who rebooks us on this new flight that our bags have been moved as well, they will arrive in Milan with us. This we confirmed several times. Why I wonder didn't the agent in Florida know about this flight? Well, we find out that this flight was actually for passengers who after waiting on a plane on the tarmac for nearly three hours had been transferred to this other plane now scheduled to leave at 11:30 -- ala this mystery flight to Paris. We're ultimately shuttled onto the plane with a contingency of unhappy, tired travelers bound for Paris. And then finally at around midnight the mystery flight takes off.

Arriving in Paris, after a night of half sleep on a plane, again we rush through Charles De Gaulle, which could be in addition to the recognized world's worst, the most confusing airport in the world. The path to the connecting flight took us up and down escalators several times through corridors here and yon, past phenomenal looking cafes where travelers were drinking wine and eating scrumptious looking baguette sandwiches under the light of adorable petite lamps that only the French would think to put on a countertop in an airport diner. We reach the embarkment place and are herded with around one hundred others onto a very hot bus, taking us out to the tarmac to our plane bound for Milan.

All is forgiven and forgotten. The plane trip from Paris to Milan on Air France was spectacular. First, the seats are comfortable and the flight is only half full so we are able to move away from two kids who are kicking the back of our seats. Secondly, shortly into the flight, a petite, tantalizing tray of luscious bites of food arrived including a small wrap, a dollup of creamy crab stuff, a slice of cheese, crackers and two petit fours -- sure beats a choice of peanuts or cheese crackers. Third, and best of all, the French and Italian flight crew were incredibly friendly asking us about our trip, making suggestions. And then about 40 minutes outside of Milan we crossed the most breathtaking vistas --- the Alps peered out of the clouds in their steel majesty, and we could see snow-covered mountains with pristine, icy-turqoise lakes and streams. As we descended into Milan, Lake Maggiore was visible dotted with its lakeside resorts and punctuated by boats skirting across its waters.

We look at each other as we walk from the plane in Milan and simultaneously say, "Well, we're here." And congratulate ourselves because despite the setbacks we had gotten to Milan on time as planned.

We had arrived. Our luggage had not.. Unfortunately, it was supposedly in Atlanta waiting for the flight the next day direct to Milan--the one that we had orignally been rebooked on when our flight from Florida had been delayed. The one we had been assured in Atlanta that it was not on. Explitive!

Well as we we sat sharing a glass of chianti and a marvelous meal on a patio overlooking the Italian countryside that evening (and this was at a contemporary airport hotel), it didn't seem to matter. We were in Italy afterall. And as a wise woman once said "Tommorrow is another day."

Venice's International Art Biennale --70 Countries showcase the best in Contemporary Art -- on view through November 2009

While Venice's is typically associated with the Art of the Renaissance, it is a contemporary art exhibition that every other year draws artists from over 70 countries from all over the world.  When the first Venice Biennale Art Festival was held in 1895 the decorative arts were the centerpiece of the event. Through the years, the festival became more and more international and from 1907 on, several countries began installing national pavilions.   After World War I, the Biennale gradually changed its focus to modern art. Many well-known modern artists had their work exhibited there between the wars.

In the 1930s, under Facist leadership, several new sections of the event were established: the Music Festival in 1930, the now more famous  International Film Festival in 1932, and the Theatre Festival in 1934.  

After a six-year hiatus during  the Biennale was resumed in 1948 with renewed attention to avant-garde movements , contemporary art was introduced in the 1950s, pop art in the 1960s.   Currently contempory art is the focus of the Biennale.  

For some excellent illustrations of the art being exhibited see the Boston Globe's piece on the event. 

The exhibition, which opened on June 7, continues through November, 2009.  Ticket and venue information can be found on the Biennale's website.