Boston, The Human Race

I woke up today to the news of bombings at the Boston Marathon.  My thoughts immediately went to my runner friends and whether they might have been there.  I checked Facebook, and was relieved that none of them were there.  My next thought, was "Why there?"  I know this tends to be everyone's first reaction, but really, why there?  I continued to search the Internet for information on the bombings.  I had so many thoughts running through my mind.  Very sad and overwhelming.  So I went for a run.

I thought about Boston the entire way.  About half way through my run, it came to me.  There are arguably few places or events in the US that show the American spirit more than road races.  Runners are a unique bunch.  If you have ever participated in a running event, or even been a spectator, you are sure to get caught up in the energy.  You will see people of every age, size, shape and color all running together as one.  You may even see Elvis and the Easter bunny, and if you are lucky, you'll beat them!  You will see countless fans cheering you on as if you were an olympian.  Fellow runners spew out breathless, encouraging words to one another in passing.  Hundreds of volunteers come out to give water to sweaty, smelly runners and then rake up the discarded cups.  Little kids stand on the sidelines with their hands out to collect as many "high fives" as they can.  Everyone, working, running and cheering together to the finish line.  Then there is the party at the end.  The party like no other.  Fellow runners congratulate each other over free bananas, oranges, junk food and beer, chatting excitedly as their "runner's high" takes full effect.

Then there is Boston, the "Grand-Daddy" of them all.  The best of the best.  The elusive race many a runner has strived for.  One of our oldest races in one of our oldest cities.  The bomber likely considered this.  I feel confident in the fact that whoever is behind this will likely be caught and punished.  I am even more confident that this does not crush our spirit.  The race will go on.  We will continue along the course, cheering each other on to the finish.  I believe there is more goodness and kindness than evil in the human race.

Sprint to the Last!

Shhh...The Real Last Supper!

Warning! The following is the good, the bad and the ugly of travel abroad in fine detail. Travel is awesome! It is an experience to be had.  Some of the most unforgettable experiences are the mistakes that are made along the way...

We arrived in Italy from Finland at 10:30 pm on a Saturday night.  It was snowing and the ground was covered with snow.  Our excitement sank a little, we just left 2 ft of snow and frigid temps!!!  We were looking for warmth and sun!  Our kind innkeeper met us at the airport at this late hour, and drove us to lovely Bergamo where we would call home for the next 10 hours.  After a good night's sleep, Maurizio cooked us breakfast and we then walked 15 minutes to the train station and were headed for Milan.  I bought our train tickets from the machine.  We forgot to validate them before the train departed (steep fine possible) so we immediately told the conductor and he hand validated it without remark.  Upon arrival in Milan, we immediately hunted for deposito bagagli (luggage storage) since we were only breezing through Milan for a few hours.  I didn't see it so I went to the ticket office to ask.  She informed me it was by toilets by the newsstand...and that was exactly where it was...in the bathroom. There was a man who did not speak any English sitting at a table in the bathroom with basically a hand written deposito bagagli sign.  After we removed the iPads as a precaution, we turned over our bags.  We had one large rolling duffle and 3 backpacks.  He asked us to write our name and the time we would return.  He then informed us it would be 35e for 3 hrs!!! We expressed this was too high. He agreed to charge us 21 euros which we agreed to, and prepaid. 

We then went upstairs to the main level to figure out our train to Florence for that afternoon.  We found the touchscreen super easy to use.  It was when we went back downstairs to the metro, that things began to fall apart.  We couldn't figure out how to use the machines for the metro tickets so we gave up and bought them from the tobacco shop for 50 cents more per ticket.  This is where I made a mistake.  We easily bought our tickets but what we should have done was buy our return tickets as well. This would have saved us a tremendous amount of trouble!!!  Our main reason for visiting Milan, was to view Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper".  Tickets for this often sell out months in advance.  Of course, when we needed to take the tram to see the painting, we were in a hurry and there was no tobacco shop or ticket machine in sight.  When the tram came, Mike and the kids got in at the back. Me, being the honest person, went to the front hoping I could buy tickets from the driver.  Nope!  To make a long story short, Mike and the kids went merrily and illegally in the tram, while I sprinted a mile with a 15 pound backpack, in boots, in heavy wet snow, to the church.  I made it with about 5 minutes to spare.  If I was not a runner, I would have never made it in time.  Mike was impressed with my split.  I was breathless, soaking wet, and looking a bit crazy to put it mildly.  You may wonder why I just didn't take a cab.  Along the way, I tried to hale several cabs to no avail.  Moving forward, we enjoyed our allotted 15 minute viewing.  It was definitely an experience we will never forget!  I sat and listened to the audio guide and let my heart rate settle to a non lethal level...just to prepare for the next race. 

We thought the luggage storage closed at 2:30.  It was a tight connection but shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't get lost in the metro system maze.  Oh, but get lost we did!  In a panic, we raced like our lives depended on it, to the toilets to get our luggage.  If you think this situation stinks, you are right.  When we arrived at 2:45, we found our same Italian friend there still checking in more luggage.  It didn't close at 2:30-I guess I misinterpreted the sign, so our race and panic was for nothing!  To our relief, we were happily reunited with our luggage, laptop and all.  Now that was an exercise in good faith to say the least!

We then went upstairs to the main floor to buy our train tickets to Florence.  I opted to buy them from the ticket window instead of the machine just because there was no line. With my best Italian, straight from my open guidebook, I purchased our tickets for Florence for 130 euros, from the non English speaking nice man at the ticket desk.  This is where it helps to have previously researched your train options.  Knowing the departure/arrival times, the price, and any applicable discounts, which all can be found online, will help you make a wise choice if you opt to wait to buy your tickets at the station.  If we would have bought the ticket a month or more in advance online, I could have easily paid less than 100.  Spontaneity has its price!

An uneventful 2 hr train ride later, we arrived in Florence's Santa Maria Novella train station, notorious for expert pickpockets.  We tried our best to blend in with our tennis shoes, 5 bags, and maps in hand.  We easily walked the 10 minutes (which included one "recalculation" to our awesome hotel.  Firenze Number Nine.  After our rough day, we found our bliss.  It was a long day of wrong turns, missed trams, heavy snow, and sprinting a mile in boots, but we family made it to our little piece of heaven as the fresco on our ceiling depicted.  We kicked off our wet shoes, peeled off our soggy socks, and jumped into (while the kid jumped on) our comfy beds and switched on the TV.  We were delighted to find a channel dedicated to 80's rock.  I'm talking Friday Night Videos good!  Only a child of the 80's could truly appreciate this, as our kids reminded us.

After our 20 minute reprieve in heaven, we thought we should go out for dinner being that we hadn't had a real meal in over 24 hours (no, I don't count my 800 calorie hot chocolate fondant drink a meal). We consulted Rick (Rick Steve's) and mapped out our plan.  Rick's recommended restaurant Lo Stracotto, was literally just steps outside our hotel door.  Imagine our surprise, we were planning on making our usual 2-3 detours.  We plopped ourselves down in the deserted restaurant.  Deserted because most Italians don't even think of eating out until after 8 pm.  We were the early birds at 6:30.  Our experience began generically with a somewhat indifferent waiter.  We have become accustomed to this.  European waiters don't usually approach your table with the same enthusiasm one may experience at Applebee's or the like.  We ordered our wine and appetizers. We had salami, marinated artichokes, buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto.  Mike then had a thick bowl of vegetable bread soup, delicious!  For dinner, the kids had spaghetti, I had gnocchi, and Mike had pepper steak. Our food was all very good! We savored our meal and wine while the kids entertained themselves with drawing on their placemat. When you travel with kids, ALWAYS pack coloring and drawing materials. Our indifferent waiter returned and presented my daughter with a folded piece of paper. When she opened it, there was a sketch of a cat, similar to the one she had drawn. The kids were thrilled!  

We decided to order dessert.  Mike and Lane ordered chocolate soufflé, Alayna creme brûlée, and tiramisu for me. They were all delicious!(Carly's creme brûlée is still better).  After dessert, the waiter returned with another drawing.  This time, Batman, as my son had been drawing.  He was so excited! With the drawing duel on, we ordered more wine and enjoyed la dolce vita!

This is why we love to travel.  It is full of surprises, not all of them pleasant, but it is a chance to learn. It can be challenging and exciting to be way outside your comfort zone.  We our trying to expand our comfort zone one, or three mistakes at a time.