Final Thoughts...

This trip has been a great experience for me! I have learned that Italy is very different in many ways to America but it also has many similarities too. Many things here are just plain better but they have a lot of the same issues and problems we face back home. It is helped me appreciate America more and all the things I took for granted. Will there be things I will miss…absolutely YES!!! Actually too many to talk about on this blog!!! I am ready to get home and see all of you, my family and my friends! I know this will be a great summer. I will be in Battle Creek for the summer at my parent’s house while I decide what to do next with my life…or at least when I grow up!!! All my contact information is the same so please drop me a line, stop by or send me an e-mail when you have the chance. Again, I look forward to seeing all of you soon. Best wishes e buona fortuna!!!

Valpolicella!

I was in the Valpolicella area in April to visit Verona, Lake Garda, and go to VinItaly. I the trip back from Venice Mariella and I stopped and spent the day tasting wines and touring the beautiful country side. This area of Italy is one of the most beautiful I have seen if all my travels here. It is similar in many ways to Tuscany but I feel the landscape is every more beautiful. Enjoy the pictures!

Corte Fornello!

The Corte Fornello winery is owned and operated by Ivano and Nereo Venturelli. The business has been in Ivano's family for over 4 generations. There are 20 hectares of land producing many different varietals of wine, passito and grappa. The wine making process has been passed from father to son for 5 generations here and when Ivano has retired his son David will take his place in the family business. Mariella and I spent an evening tour the facilities and talking with Ivano and his family about importing wines to Michigan. They are very interested and have never sent any wines to America! I will keep you all posted as this story continues to develop!

Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy in May is very nice and full of tourists! Mariella and I spent 2 days there this past weekend and had a wonderful time. Very beautiful and very romantic...but very expensive too!!! Everyone should come here at least once to see it because there really is no place like it in the world. I will be coming home on Monday and it is hard to believe that 90 days have passed but this last mini vacation here in Italy with her was really great!!! See you all soon!

Too funny to miss...

I had to put these two pictures of Gretchen on the blog for everyone to see. The first picture was at a late night techno gelateria (ice cream shop) that my friend Jovi took us too. The second picture is at the world famous Egyptian museum. The real question you must ask is, “Are we every going to grow up?” Man I hope not!!!

Barolo? no...Nebbiolo!

Nebbiolo has to be one of my favorite grapes. In Pedimote, Nebbiolo wines are everywhere and they are very inexpensive. For those who do not know, Barolo, "the king of Italian wines" is made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes. At home we can buy Barolo easily but be ready to pay at least $75 minimum when you are out. Here you can get Barolo for half the price but what is better are the countless bottles of "Nebbiolo" you can find for a song! I will miss the selection of local Pidmonte wines they have on every corner once I am home. I am excited to get home and have some California and Argentina wines but I will miss my Nebbiolo! A presto tutti!!!

Cinque Terre

I know many of the last few blog additions have had some really nice pictures but I must say Cinque Terre is truly unique. The Sea and the Mountains!!! Usually you get one or the other but not both. These pictures were taken last Friday afternoon in Monterossa, Cinque Terre. Mariella and I went down there before heading to a Castle Bed and Breakfast in northern Tuscany. Che Bello!!! Ci vediamo a presto tutti...solomente 2 settimani pui! Ciao Ciao...

Grazie Mille

I want to send a message to everyone looking at my blog and say Hello! I hope all of you are doing well and I am very excited to see all of you again once I return home. This trip has been a great experience for me and it is really strange that in 3 weeks I will be coming home. At least home for the summer but I am really excited about getting together for wine, dinners and conversation. I can not wait to get out and play some golf and have a cigar with my “boys”! I am also very ready to fly and spend a little time on the beaches of Lake Michigan! Many of you have sent e-mails and let messages on Skype; I appreciate this more than you know. It is always nice to hear from friends. I am sorry that many times I am not at my computer but I want all of you to know how much your calls and messages have meant to me…Thank you!!! I will try to continue to update my blog over the last 3 weeks so keep checking it and once I get home we can talk over the details. I hope all of you have the chance to come over here sometime…it is more than just a vacation! More later but take care…Tutti!!!

Francia to Italia...

These are the pictures from our drive back to Italy for southeast France. There is a main highway that goes directly into Italy but this was our other option. As I said before, I have never been on a road exactly like this before...and I have been on some very beautiful drives and I would say this is at the top if not the top of the list! The only picture I will explain is the last one. All I can say is when in France or Italy wine is like breathing. It is just part of the experience!!!

Rhone Valley, France

The Rhone Valley in France is famous for its wines. There are the southern and northern appellations. The southern has the popular Chateauneuf-du-Pope wines but in the northern appellation there is a small area that produces the best wines in the Rhone Valley. The area is called, Hermitage and it dates back to the Roman era. As I said it is very small, only 104 hectares but the wines are incredible. The red grapes in the northern appellation are all “Syrah” so they are full bodied wines with excellent balance, lots of fruit and a very smooth finish…WOW! If you have not already, please go and taste for yourself…you will not be disappointed!

Switzerland...

Switzerland...at least the very small part I visited...was beautiful! This was no surprise to me because Switzerland is also one of the richest countries and Lake Geneva is a glacier lake surrounded by the Swiss Alps. I guess when you put all of that together it is really hard to not be beautiful. I will say the drive from Italy to Geneva and the drive home from France were some of the most beautiful roads I have ever travelled. In the pictures above you have Gretchen and me on the road as we crossed into Switzerland and than the next two pictures are on Lake Geneva. The first is in Geneva overlooking the city and the second is from our hotel room in Lausanne. I was really surprised but between Geneva and Lausanne, I actually preferred Lausanne more. Everyone I talked to in Italy said this to me before I left and now I understand! Please enjoy!!!

Gretchen's Visit to Italia...

Gretchen came to visit me on Saturday May 3rd and we had a wonderful time while she was here. It was a short trip for her, only 8 days, but we went to Lake Geneva, the Rhone Valley in France, Milano and spent time here in Torino. She met some of the friends I have made from the school and other local Italians. I have many other pics of our travels this past week and even more stories to tell but I will wait until I am home and we can all catch up. If you see Gretchen, ask her about the wines, friends, and the mountain road we took back to Italy. I can not really descibe it in words...maybe, bellissima!!! Gretchen...thanks for coming to visit! I will see you soon. Ciao tutti...