Main railroad station in Milan, Italy

 

Paris

The CGD airport is not only huge, but immensely long, and hard to navigate!

There is no motorized transport for people that need assistance. One could order a wheel chair, as I did (since I'm temporarily suffering from tendenitis in my left ankle), but it was nowhere in site at arrival. The plane parked in the middle of the field, thus the passengers had to disembank by walking down stairs, and then hop on a bus that took almost 1/2 hour to reach the arrival terminal.

The traffic was incredible not only on the field, but all the way around the entire airport. I had to climb 2 floors to reach someone to talk to and when they took their sweet time to serve the long line of waiting customers, I decided to walk, otherwise I was risking loosing my connection for Italy. Needless to say the European flight were departing from the opposite end of the airport. So........hopping along, I finally got to the gate, and.....to my surprise, the flight number was not even posted, although it should have been time to board it!

Another flight of stairs brought me to a lounge, where finally I was able to find out that not only the flight was delayed by about 3/4 hr, but that I'd better wait at the gate, otherwise, I could not hear any broadcasted announcement.

The crowds were incredible and, of course, the few seats at every gate were all taken, while the unlucky passengers parked themselves on the floor. It was fascinating to watch the comings and goings, and the wondering looks of such a variety of passengers. The Italians were fretting all over the place, nervously asking questions, while a lot of Americans were quietly sitting down reading their pocket books and only occasionally looking up, waiting for the flight information to be displayed.

We finally boarded the Alitalia flight for Milan 1 hr later, but, once on board, we sat (with open doors) for another hour before departure. The
captain kept us informed, but the hostesses never even offered a drink during all this time. I always knew that there is a difference in service among airlines, but this trip really revealed a striking one!

First class.....

I knew all along that traveling first class was going to be an experience, but what I din't know is that they even furnish you with a pajamas to change into for a totally confortable night on a long transatlantic haul!

First, I had a relaxing time at Air France private lounge at JFK, which is an oasis of serenity and peacefulness. A variety of seats and accomodations serve a variety of lucky passengers that use this facility. A fully stocked self service bar offers all sorts of small sandwiches and drinks, including (of course!) champagne. There is absolutely no noise of any kind in this environment and even the service personnel appears and disappears unoticeably. Never even heard a flight announcement,... "not to disturb" the present users, the sign displays.

Once on board, the fun began. I had seat no. 1 and was flanked by an American businessman who spent part of the night preparing himself for the meetings he had planned in Paris the next morning. All others, mostly French (all seats were taken!), just relaxed, drank, ate, and, soon after, changed into their PJs for an "heavenly" night, tucked under sparkling white, warm, light quilts. The setup was complete with full size white pillow and fully reclinable chair, from head to toe. In this pleasant situation, it's no wonder no one bothered to look at a movie or the news...

Another surprise was the totally individualized service for each passenger. The reserved, and quietly moving, stewards served the meals (on lovely white table cloths), produced quilts and pillows for the people ready to retire, and in the morning served breakfast only based on the behavior of each passenger, never disturbing the ones that preferred to sleep all the way to destination.

I have traveled business class before, but this was the ultimate experience! At arrival in Paris CDG airport was another story (for another time to tell)!

Here we go!

Although officially fall, the weather in NY has turned hot again. I am on the verge of my planned trip overseas, and still don’t know what to wear. The forecast in Italy, where I’ll land first, is rain and cold, while Albania, where I’ll spend the rest of my time abroad, is still enjoying 80 degrees.

Anyway, what’s important for me is not the clothing to wear, but what data or documents to take with me, based on the projects I am involved with, which require me to travel again so far away from home. I feel ready though, and eager to accomplish a few more tasks, which I’ll report on it, as I go along.

All I know now is that, for the first time, I’ll travel first class, thanks to my frequent flyers miles and the airline industry restructuring and partnerships, which necessitated some rerouting of normal travel plans. In Italy I’ll be doing different things, but quite different from what I’ve done in the past 3 years there, and I forecast the same in Albania, where there will be changes due to a newly elected government in the country and new plans for my work accommodations there.

In Italy I may have to cope with some already announced “general strikes” for a couple of days, which seem to become the norm, but, hopefully, they will not affect my flight schedules. I really don’t mind changes, but pray for minimal disruptions, and,.... confidently, I look forward to new experiences in the air and on land!

New travel plans

Would you believe that I already have plans for my next trip overseas? The exhaustion from my last treck is forgotten, and, yes, I just finished booking my transatlantic flight to Italy for next month. After a few days in Milan, where I am supposed to have a couple of meetings, I shall proceed to Tirana. In Albania I have many ongoing projects and will remain for a month, returning to the States just in time for Thanksgiving.

No sooner I had my electronic ticket in hand that my favorite airline (Delta) has declared bankruptcy! Worried about what I should or should not do, I perused their web site and, low and behold, I find that they have already posted reassuring reports for anyone to read. By the end of day I even got a personal email from the airline toward this end! They wanted me to know that my travel plans are secure.

Where else in the world would one get such attentive and effective service?

Just a thought

As the catastrophe continues to unfold in the southern states I am at home in New York, which, instead is blessed with a gorgeous day. It's very hard to think of the devastation left by Katrina, and even more difficult to imagine how the thousand of people affected are feeling and how they are coping with this immense disaster.

As I am making my contribution, a thought crosses my mind: how would I feel and what would I do if I was in this kind of situation? The only answer I can come up with is that none of us are ready to deal with similar calamity, but we should think about it and should learn a few things from it. In some countries around the world there are people that, although for different reasons, live today their lives with a small survival kit at hand. We should realize that even in the most modern, richest, and powerful nation, every one of us should learn to become more responsible for our own well being and try to plan in advance what we would do if faced with similar misfortune.

the Cavenago castle has an old (125 meter deep) water well, which is no longer used
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the Cavenago's inside courtyard, where drinks are served before dining
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The medieval castle "Cavenago", dating back to the 1300's, now an "agriturismo"
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Relaxing breaks

It was a humid and hot summer evening on Saturday, July 16th, when I rode with a cousin to the club of Castelconturbia, where she and her family are members. (see pictures below)

This has been a private golf club since the early 1900's and it counts no less than 500 members that include many foreigners. It is located in the midst of the rolling countryside at about 30 km from Malpensa (Milan) airport. The dinners can be consumed either indoors or on a large terrace overlooking the greens, with self-service for appetizers and desserts. The food I have enjoyed here many times is consistently excellent and quite varied; the conversation always lively, although frivolous, which makes the atmosphere very relaxing.

The following Sunday, July 24th, I was the host to some other cousins that live in another northern area of the Piedmont region, but came to visit and gave me a hand in my chores. They choose to dine in an old castle on top of the hills of the village, so that their daughter could listen to my recounting some of the stories of this place.

This medieval castle is named 'Cavenago" from the family that owned it (see pictures above). Its last member was a Count that was put to an horrible death by his army in 1307. Naked and covered with honey he was left to die in a cage, consumed by insects and other animals.

As a child I used to visit this place quite frequently, not only because I lived in the village then (it was during WWII), but also because part of it, owned by relatives, was used it for the wine harvest for which the village is known. All the villages in this area are flanked by hills, which sit at the feet of the Italian Alps (on their northern part is Switzerland) and produce some of the best wines of Italy. The one I lived in as a child is named: 'Ghemme' , and it's the birthplace of a famous architect, Antonelli, who, among other structures, designed the cupola of the Duomo of Turin that bears his name.

Today part of the Cavenago castle is privately owned by a local family and has become an "agriturismo" (place where you can eat local specialties, the ingredients of which are suppoed to be all locally grown). The meals are served family style, and there is only one common menu -- one only has to choose the type of wine to go with it. Reservations are a must, and everyone is expected to be seated at the same time, after a cocktail is served in the outdoor garden area. The food is interesting and very satisfying, and, after dining, everyone usually lingers to visit the surroundings areas.

These were the only 2 relaxing breaks I allowed myself during this trip.

Part of the golf course as seen from the club's balcony
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The golf club

Castaleconturbia Golf Club
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Accident

Two days after my arrival in Italy, on an early Saturday morning, I was awaken by a tremedous noise, right underneath my first floor bedroom window, which was kept open due to the hot weather. The view that appeared below when I peeked out looked dreadful (see pictures below).

Two black cars (an Alfa and a Mini), a few feet apart, were completely smashed against my house: a young man. unhurt and standing with a cell phone in hand, was asking the other driver (a woman, still sitting in her small car and moaning) whether he should call an ambulance! In a couple of minutes I was dressed and with camera in hand I descended onto the street to see what I could do. The scene that followed was beyond my belief! The woman was pretty badly hurt. She was a local nurse, going to work at 6am. Her mother witnessed the accident while walking her dog, and came to her assistance immediately. The man, in his 30's, looked sober although he confessed loudly that he did not see the intersection (my house is on a corner of a 4 way crossing). A few neighbors also attracted by the big bang, came running and tried to call the local police, which, I was informed however, being a weekend, was not available. The response came from another larger town, 3/4 of an hour away, and, only after the ambulance arrived, a police car appeared with 2 'carabinieri' in it. One of them never got out of the car, while his colleague was gathering information and making notes. The latter even asked the father of the victim (who meakly obliged!) to help him take measurements, while his partner was sitting and watching the entire scene..... I took some pictures and took notes that I offered to the victim's family. The man who caused the accident called his father, who also arrived on the scene. After about 1 1/2 hour a pickup truck also arrived and expeditiously loaded the 2 cars and even cleaned up part of the debris, which littered 2 streets for many feet. In addition to the shattered glass there was a lot of spilled oil and gasoline, which made walking quite treacherous. Some of the local people even hinted that I should clean the street because the town would not do this except on a designated day during the week. This was certainly an eye-opening experience for me about the Italian state services, and a heck of a way to start my work visit in Italy!!

The car that caused the accident
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The mini smashed against my house
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Travel woe

Now that I am home and still recuperating my strength, I cannot believe what I lived through during my recent trip to Italy.

My presence was required due to negotiations for the sale of a house I co-owned in northern Italy. The prospected buyer was in a hurry to close on the deal because he wanted to re-adapt the street floor during the summer months so that his business (a restaurant) could get into full swing in the fall. So I was forced to make quick plans and leave New York right after July 4th.

The weather has been consistently hot and humid also in Italy, but I survived it somehow. The house is a 4 story building with thick walls and no elevator. My task was to completely empty its content before the closing and I made it, but I cannot remember perspiring so much, while drinking more than 4 liters of water a day, and trying to get a few hours of sleep, here and there, only with the help of a table top fan.

The work, both mental and physical, was totally exhausting and lasted one full month! I had to deal with furniture and furnishings, linens, apparel, books, papers, documents, and photographs that belonged to 3 generations. The house has been in the maternal side of my family since 1894. I had spent time in it during my youth and I relived many memories while clearing it up. It was hard to give it up, emotionally, but a necessity.

During this stay in Italy I declined several of the invitations I usually receive from friends and relatives alike, so that I could meet the planned deadlines, but I had the chance to enjoy a couple of dinners in good company that I'll describe later on.

The 4 story house I worked in has an open terrace on the top, with a beautiful view
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Updates

It seems ages since I've been able to get back to this blog, but during my stay in Italy I was busy working in an environment that didn't have connection facilities. Only a couple of times I was able to use a terminal in the Public Library of the small village where I was and for a brief period of time. This access was available only for a couple of hours a day, and I had to compete with some kids, waiting on line, to get to one of the two terminals at this place. I was, thus, only able to reply to urgent email and make electronic payments of my bills.

Now, I am home after an horrific trip back, which rerouted me from Amsterdam to Paris, and switched me from one airline to another 3 times before returning to NY!! I am all in one piece, but totally exhausted. The 20 hours that took me to get home was just the 'frosting' on the month long, non stop, work stay in northern Italy. More details will follow, soon.

Happenings

Since I have been in Italy, time has flown and I have not been able to get acess to Internet on a regular basis, thus lack of postings here, my friends!

Lots has happened since I've left NY starting with a much delayed departure from JFK airport, due to tires blow out while we were almost ready to take off.....My connection time in Amsterdam was cut so short (from the 2 1/2 hrs that should have been available) that I was very lucky to catch the flight to Milan. In the 15 minutes available to change plane I had to run from one end to the opposite one of the Amsterdam airport, and, fortunately, even my luggage made it with me to final destination.

From my arrival onward, I have worked non-stop, in very unconfortable weather (hot and humid), seven days a week. Much has been accomplished. but I am not finished yet. More details will have to follow though later on.

For now, I can tell you that I can't wait to get back home!!

Departure

As the long holiday week-end of Independence Day is under way here in the U.S., I am packing for my next overseas trip.

"It's not a vacation" - I need to clarify to everyone that hears that I'll be traveling to northern Italy assuming that I am going to have a good time in the country of "la dolce vita". The pleasure of sightseeing this country as a tourist is quite different from the reality of living and having to cope with everyday life as I have experienced for years there.

A month of hard work (both physical and mental) is ahead of me, and, sincerely, I am not looking forward to it. However, it must be done.

The settling of an estate is not an easy thing to do anywhere. It is doubly so for me, due to dealings with foreign procedures and laws, complex bureaucracy, inefficient administration, and wasteful laissez-faire.

The timing of this trip is also not of my choosing. I will have to cope with stifling temperatures, no air conditioning comfort, and no easy phone or Internet connection, but ticket is in hand and I shall deal with it.

Stay tuned in any case, my friends!