9 April 2017  Carter Visit 2, Firenze, Pisa, Monza & Bergamo

The Carter family came to Italy, for the second time, arriving on 2 April.  They flew into Zurich, Switzerland, where their one hour flight to Milano was canceled, so Swiss Air put them up there and flew them to Florence the next day.

To be able to meet the Carters at Malpensa, we took the train from Locate Triulzi, our closest train station, which is about a 7 minute drive, past Scalo Milano (a new shopping mall), and a 30 minute walk (we've done it).  This is the train station manager in the backgound, with Myrna in the front.

While we were anxiously waiting for them in Malpensa airport, into which they never came, I took this pix of a large hospital consortuium sign, asking for donations for heart research.

We came home on the train, late at night, and ate some of the strawberry pie in the refrigerator that Myrna made for them...

And also some of the banana pie.

And the next day gave the left over pies to the missionaries, who were delighted.

And after our Monday office meeting we went to the Locate station and took the train going south, to La Spezia, which goes through Lodi and Genova, and stops at many small cities on the way.

Before getting to La Spezia, the train went past the five towns in the famous Cinque Terre, which is a national park.  These are picturesque towns on the side of mountains overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  Many tourists, including the Carters, hiked on little and sometimes steep trails overlooking the cities and the sea.

When we got to La Spezia we saw that they they grow oranges and lemons there, so it must be warmer than Opera, where there is no citrus fruit. The day was very pleasant, not too hot or cold.

We didn't have to wait long for them.  They came in on a local train and we went with them to their 9 passenger FIAT rented van.

in which we drove down to Pisa, also on the coast, where, of course, we marveled at the three ancient buildings in the Piazza di Miracoli: the octagonal baptistry, the cathedral and, of course, the bell tower, that famously leans.
 
And like all tourists, took pictures of everyone holding up the tower, least it fall on our watch.

Several climbed the 284 (8 stories) stairs to the top of the tower.  Rick is in the orange shirt.

It was a pleasant time together.

They wanted a family picture with the tower in the background, and the sun was about to set.

So we left the piazza and headed west, toward the sunset.

To the beach, which has no sand, only small rocks of mostly pure white marble, from the overlooking mountains, including the famous Carrara, from which the stones for all of the world's most famous statues, including the Christus, were carved.

The boys are pretty good at skipping rocks, pure marble rocks, with which we filled our pockets.

Then to Florence, to the B&B Hotel, a large chain, which we would not recommend. First the booking company dropped my reservation, which had been pre-paid, and it took an hour for one overworked clerk, Pino, to figure out how to get us a room.  Then, when Anna opened the door to her room, there was a man in her bed!  Then, when Rick needed to out to his van to get the phone charger later that night, all the doors were locked--we were locked in the hotel, and there was no one at the desk.

In the morning we went to a nearby coffee shop and had a nice breakfast.

Which cost half what breakfast at the hotel was, and was undoubtedly better.  We had hot sandwiches (ham and cheese) and lovely pastries, like mine with the raisins and cream filling.

We drove to park the van to the area near San Lorenzo, where the markets are.

And got in the line waiting to go into the Academia, where The David lives.  This was spring break in Europe, and the group we got behind was from Belgium, with their chemistry teacher as a chaperone.  I spoke with her for quite a while, while some of us we waited, while others shopped. Some of the kids in line even entertained us by doing line dances.

Some of the Carters needed to clip their fingernails, and the only place we could find to buy fingernail clippers at that tie of day was in this pharmacy, which, interestingly, according to the sign, says it opened in 1427--how is that for a pedigree. The clippers cost €6, but maybe they were used by Michaelangelo to clip his little toe nails.

So once we got inside the Academia, we went to the museum of antique musical instruments, like these bells and triangles.

I read this interesting article about seeing The David.

There are places to sit to marvel, or stare at the beautiful young women.

Some drew what they were seeing.

And everyone wanted their picture taken with him.

There are hundreds of famous statues, like this unfinished pietà by Michaelangelo, in that gallery, but they all sort of get short shrift, because David is so amazing.

Some are sort of charmingly quaint, like this mold for a cemetery piece of a dead child.

It's hard to not take one last look, before you head to other rooms, then out into the teeming city.

At the base of the cathedral, with its multi-colored marble.

And to look up to see how much marble there really is.

Turn the other direction to see the eight sided baptistry, which was built first, because baptism was, at that time, such an important ordinance, people needed to be baptized before they could worship in the cathedral.

Jesus gave us the example for baptism, as shown above the doors, although he was immersed, which they did in this baptistry for centuries, before the Catholic church changed the doctrine to permit sprinkling.

The famous bronze doors of the baptistry have now been copied

to better preserve them from the elements and vandalism, or so they could charge you to see them.

The main doors to the nearby cathedral are much larger, but not as famous.

I am not sure why I took this pix of the two red statues, with sunglasses, in the windows, and did not notice, until I later looked at the picture, that below is the famous Orphanage of Bigallo.

Curb sitting and people watching was entertaining, and a good way to get off your feet.

I even did a study in hair, which was later pruned.

Our sturdy hiking boots, to which were later added several new pair.

It was lunch time, so we went to a restaurant, the Divine Ostaria

Which displayed in the window their pieces of famous Florentine beef for grilling, which they undoubtedly serve seared on the outside and raw on the inside.

However, there isn't much you can do wrong with or to gelato, which is found everywhere.

They took us to the train, the Freccerosa, so we could go home, and they went on to Rome.

While waiting for the APs to come to pick us up at Locate, I took this pix of a self-painting of the guy who spray painted the under passageway of  the train station.

Obviously inspired by Andy Warhol, some of whose art we sat in Monza this week.

I wonder if he got Disney's permission to spray paint these Mickeys. When the missionaries came to get us, they broughtWilliam Scoggin and his father, who were here touring, a couple of months after Anziano Scoggin, who worked with us in the office, went home.  It was nice to see him for a few minutes. I want to look him up in Provo sometime to see how  he is doing.

During the week I made stir-fried rice, the first time ever in Italy. It was good, for a change, from risotto. I even bought some oriental rice, which cooks up much differently than Carnaroli, which is the variety grown a half block from the mission office.

When the Carters got back from Rome we had lasagna ready for them.  I made the sugo Bolognese earlier in the week, but Myrna, who had lasagna making lessons from Mariella, made a bel'lasanga, which was devoured.  See Taylor on the end right.

Taylor is working on his missionary application, and said he had not had his mission pix taken yet. With subconscious thoughts of my dear old mother; I invited him to go with me to visit Romano, who took great interest in this Americano. Romano has been giving missionaries hair cuts for at least the 20 years the mission office has been here in Opera.  First with a hair wash, done by Romano himself (usually the wash boy does it, but Taylor had special treatment)

Then to the first chair (Romano, who is Sicilian, is the owner of this popular shop), where with clippers lots of dark hair fell to the marble floor.

Then Romano expertly thinned and trimmed the top.

And styled it, and cut and styled some more.

And, in the end, expressed his delight in being able to give Taylor a missionary haircut.  He used every spray, mousse, and powder he had, and at the end put lots of perfume (Aramis) on Taylor, and then gave him a free tube of hair gel.  It was quite the treatment, at the regular price. Thanks, Romano.

That evening we went shopping, first to Scalo Milano, where they bought 3 pair of Vans shoes, which cost less here than in the US.  Then to the IPER mall, where the boys played with the toys.

On Saturday we went with Amy's family to the palace at Monza.

At the royal palace they had a new display, using the same high tech glasses we had enjoyed before looking at baroque rooms.  However, it was not just the rooms used by the royals, but in the rooms there was an art display of the works of famous impressionist painters like Monet.

I thought this was fairly pleasant, but if I could buy it it at a yard sale for $10, not knowing anything about it, I may not be convinced it was such great art (And wouldn't spend $10, except perhaps for the frame.)

But it is a signed original, probably worth millions.

There were many examples of this genre of art.

Also a pleasant scene.

As was this one.

Reminded me of Switzerland.

And this one in Italy.

I have walked past thousands of scenes just like this.

I was remembering these names and pictures from my class in art history at Arizona State, which I took the summer after I returned from my mission.

This display was located in many of the rooms on the second floor of the royal palace

This is probably a very famous piece

Made with little dabs of oil paint.

Drawn by artists I have heard of.

But am not sure why they are considered such great art.

Some kid taking a bath.

Now this Spanish guy, Pablo, who is indeed well known, did some weird art that

I wouldn't spend a nickle for at a yard sale.

But this was sort of pleasant.

I thought these girls were also nice.

But this poor guy had to be mentally ill.

This gives me the creeps.

I had also heard of  this American, who drew Campbell soup cans.

And these guys.

Actually, the first time around we didn't use the special high tech glasses, so we went back and got glasses and saw the pictures again, with explanations through the glasses and headphones.

We looked out the windows of the palace to see the grounds below, which were also very pleasant.

The way to the next floor of the palace; there are three floors.

On the top floor, the attic, they have lots of spaces for displays, and this meeting room.

The displays are things made in Italy from about 1947, like this typewriter, on which I think I have actually typed on one like this.  50 years ago we rented typewriters in Italy. Interesting it is now in a museum.

As is this television

And this little reel to reel tape recorder.  I had a Wollensak like this, which my mother sold for $100  when I was on my mission, with which I bought my first Pentax Spotmatic camera.

And even a "computer" from 1965, the year I started  my first Italian mission.

I believe that all it could really do is add, subtract, multiply and divide, for four different accounts. They used machines like this at the hospital in Douglas when I started work there.  Jeff actually has a collection of old business machines.

In the 1960s we did have some pretty cute chairs.

And this leather baseball glove couch for watching the TV.

This says: from 1878 to 1900 the Royal Villa was the residence of the sovereigns Umberto (Humbert) and Margherita (for whom the margherita pizza was named), who vacationed here every year from June to October.

They could look out their window at this sundial

Which was surprisingly accurate, but didn't know about daylight savings time.

Quite the summer cottage!

From there we drove to Bergamo, where we finally found parking so we could eat lunch, at a kebap place, although some had pizza, which was also good, and cheap.

Then up the funicular to Bergamo Cità Alta, where the water is cool, coming from the same alpine mountains where the famous San Pelegrino spring flows.

We saw the ancient little baptistry of old Bergamo.

And a royal chapel, not usually open (this is the first time I have seen it) where kings are buried, where I was yelled at for taking this picture.

Although you can take all the pictures you want in the older adjacent bascilica, which is not the cathedral, which is also adjacent.

This is a really cool old wooden confessional.

This church has lots of really large tapestries

Sleepy, bored or both?  You can be overdosed on art!

To look up makes your neck ache.

So, because there weren't many people, I laid on a bench and took pix of the ceilings.

I am not sure what they did from this little balcony, perhaps a choir could sing from it.

A close up of the medieval wooden crucifix.

Two walls had medieval frescoes, including this of the last supper.

Outside one could sit on the rump of a medieval beast.

Which was quite slick; one could easily slide off.

There was another one on the other side of the entryway.

In the adjacent cathedral are statues of Christ's 12 apostles, including this one of Peter, with keys, which are the same size as the ones placed in the visitor's center of the Rome Temple last week, along with the Christus, made from Carrara marble, and also the Angel Moroni was lifted in his place.

In a chapel in the cathedral they had some things from Pope John XXIII, who was instrumental in our Church's being able to be in Italy.

As I was looking at this palpal hat, I could hear the organ.  I suppose someone was practicing for a concert or for mass on Sunday.  I recorded it, but do not know how to post video on this blog.

Looking from the front porch of the cathedral, one could see the bascilica, royal chapel and baptistry.

We took a little walk, so we could see new Bergamo, down the hill.

On the side of a wall was this place for hitching the horse while doing your business inside.

The other side of the wall.  I like how plants grow from holes in the walls.

It was pleasant looking out over new Bergamo below.

Bergamo, where I served 51 years ago, with only one Church member in the city--now there is a free standing church with two wards and a branch.

Taylor in line to get in the funicular to ride down the hill.

And on Saturday evening Taylor with the Assistants to the President, Anziani Morgan Pyper, from Idaho Falls and Larsen Brooks, from Utah, before they left to go teach a young man at our church building in Milano. Taylor enjoyed his evening with the missionaries.

We really enjoyed the Carter family visit, we had a great time, and hope they did too. Italy is amazing!

Ciao for now.