We're in Lausanne!

In light of our previous lengthy posts, we're going with the thought that a picture is worth a thousand words. :) Here's a summary of what we've seen and done in the last few days...

Trip to Urbino, Italy (home and birthplace of Renaissance painter, Raphael...think of his famous two baby-faced angels looking at one another)
-nutella crepe and roasted chestnuts on sidewalk
-our first Italian Catholic mass

Cortona, Italy (think Frances Mayes "Under the Tuscan Sun"). We absolutely loved this city, probably our favorite in all of Italy!
-we enjoyed walking throughout the steep! hillside paths
-great gelato
-fun marketplace wares with lots of antiques




We went back to Gubbio for one last visit (sun, yay!)
-"Marionetta Andretti" aka Sarah at the wheel driving there, and enjoying the windy curves!
-Hike to the top of the mountain
-Seeing a very vintage ski lift
-A race up one of the small streets (see below)













And now, we find ourselves in Lausanne, Switzerland (where Craig and his family lived for two years)
-staying on Lake Geneva, with views into France
-seeing Chemin des Croix-Rouges and the old apartment (kitchen with windowsill flowers?), schools, & town
-Sarah in "Swan Heaven" with about 20 swans in the lake
-Craig's excitement with being able to speak the language again!
-Amazed at all of the changes...new metro, and very upscale center of town



And with that, we leave you with this video of Sarah (we raced each other up a very steep hill in Gubbio; she plans on taking up running again upon our return to Seattle). As always, much love from Sarah & Craig

Hunt for the wild boar

We haven’t seen Noah’s Ark yet. That said, it has been a fairly rainy venture this last week, and we can count two days of sunshine sandwiched by multiple days of steady wetness. We have elected against braving the elements, and have chosen the easier path of simply relaxing at La Rondinaia (hence, the sparcity of blog updates). We have filled our time with reading (Sarah’s approaching page 650 in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables), card games (she edged me out yesterday!), a "very refreshing" dip in the pool (brrr!), witnessing a gorgeous rainbow right in our backyard, and our biggest adventure yet: getting food at the local grocery store (when they’re open). We’re hoping to go to the nearby town of Urbino today, known for its Renaissance architecture.

Filling in the gaps from when we last left off, we’ll pick up with the title of this blog. On Monday, we decided to stretch our legs a bit after being cooped up at the house. We trekked down a different nearby road, and were fortunate enough to take in a great sunset along the way. On our way back, and having almost reached the house, we heard a rustling in the nearby brush. Thinking it was simply a deer, we waited for it to run away, but it didn’t. In fact, the rustling got louder and closer. Craig started throwing rocks (big rocks!), and heard a loud grunt. We decided to make a run for it, and made it safely back to our abode. We’re pretty convinced that it was a wild boar, and at least one reputable source says that they can get up to 400-500 pounds (thanks, Ron). It’s a good thing Craig has a good arm to have scared it off, because otherwise Sarah was prepared to do hand-to-tusk combat. We’re sure he would have ended up like this other guy:


Among our less wild adventures, we got out on Tuesday and Wednesday to visit some charming towns nearby (sunny days!). Our first trip was to Gubbio, a very well-loved medieval city tucked into the Umbrian hillside. We arrived on market day, and were impressed with all of the various wares being sold (like pots & pans & leotards). We sampled some of the local culinary delicacies like truffle cheese (blech! neither one of us favors it) and golden plums (our favorite find yet and four thumbs up!). We checked out some of the local artistry, and climbed the winding streets to take in some wonderful views of the valley. Our next stop that day was Assisi, a similarly charming and well-preserved town. We loved walking the off-beaten tracks and alleyways nestled between monasteries and convents. We saw the inspiring frescoes within the Basilica of Saint Francis, saw his tomb, and learned of his life’s works and miracles. He was a busy guy! On our walk out of town, we stumbled upon our favorite find of the day: a tiny one room chapel to Saint Francis which had actually been his birthplace and early childhood home.

Next day’s stop: Deruta, pottery capital of Italy, and Perugia, home to the Eurochocolate festival and intricately disorganized roads (more on this later). It had been recommended that we peruse one particular ceramics shop & factory in Deruta. When we found it, we were greeted by a tremendously friendly gentleman, Michael, who walked us through the centuries old history and process of ceramic production. Deruta became the pottery hub 1000 years ago because of its abundance of clay soil, wood, and water. It was also far enough away from Perugia (the bigger city), that in case of fire, pottery making wouldn’t burn the city down. Our other fun little adventure while shopping for pottery involved a bit of serendipity: we caught Antonio Margaritelli, a maestro of very traditional ceramic making (he makes his own paints out of the same raw metals used in 16th century pottery), just as he was entering his shop. We loved his work, and purchased one of his plates; he ended up driving us to his studio where we had a thoroughly enjoyable tour and were impressed by his passion and collection of antique remnants.










Earlier in the day, Michael had suggested that we head to nearby Perugia for their October chocolate festival. YUM!! Of the items we sampled, the most interesting were chocolate stout beer and a liquid chocolate beverage (see video below). After dinner in a wine grotto (Sarah got her cheese fix), we got back to our car and attempted to head out of town. Craig prides himself on having a good sense of direction, but Perugia put his internal compass to the test. After zig-zagging back and forth through the old town (anyone remember the old Pac-Man games?), and one closed highway on-ramp, we eventually gained our freedom and were back en-route to Pietralunga. Oof!

It’s been such a blessing to see and enjoy Umbria. We have loved sharing our story with all of you via the blog, and have enjoyed receiving your comments and prayers. Big smile from both of us, and lots of love!

Sarah and Craig

A pleasant surprise at La Rondinaia.

We thought we had cheated autumn by getting all of this warm and sunny weather, but...fall has caught up to us. Today it's 6 degrees cooler here than in Seattle, but it is a beautiful fall day nonetheless. So far, time here has been spent trying to figure out when the stores are open (recall back to Corsica) and when conditions permit us to be outside. We have found a wonderful bakery in town, and hit the market before one o'clock! Provisions in hand, check! Time to hibernate at our casa.

Yesterday (Sunday) we took a sabbath, and rested at La Rondinaia. Craig decided to take an afternoon walk (brrrr....very brisk!), and on a very secluded road, came upon an Italian family driving their car. Inside was an older and a younger couple, and as it turns out, the older woman, Bruna, had lived in our farmhouse some 45 years ago, prior to its restoration. She is 61 now, and she had been there for 7 years, from late childhood to mid-teens. The whole family was absolutely delightful, and loved seeing the beautifully restored house. She recounted that the main living area was once the stable and chicken coop! :) And, that she really had walked an hour both ways (sometimes in snow!) to go to the nearest school. What a providential and joyful encounter it was! With both broken English and Italian (though passionately spoken), we were able to get their contact information to pass along to the current owners of the home.



The cool weather has provided some welcomed downtime for us, and we've been catching up on rest, reading, and an animated game of Monopoli (Italian-style). Next on the agenda: perhaps some day-trips to nearby towns, like Assisi and Cortona.

We are grateful to be surrounded by lovely countryside, and have been thankful for the kindness of many. Included are two locals, Manuele and Simone, who run a restaurant/hotel in Pietralunga, and who have kindly taken us in and allowed us free use of their wi-fi! We enjoyed a wonderful meal here when we arrived a few nights ago.

Much love to you all,
Sarah and Craig

Made it to Umbria…minus one spare tire!

We are sitting in a café in the very sleepy town of Pietralunga, Italy in the northern part of Umbria and not too far from our wonderful hillside farmhouse, La Rondinaia. Today marks the beginning of our fourth destination, a much needed reprieve from five days of travelling and the bustling city of Rome.

Let’s backtrack a little bit to Sardinia. Last time we checked in, we had just arrived and had settled into Alghero. We thoroughly enjoyed this old city: it’s a relaxed, seaside town with a bit of Spanish spice, beautiful beaches, a vibrant cobble street downtown, and the best restaurant we have tried yet! After spending the day in & around town, we showed up for our dinner reservation at Al Tuguri (they had turned us away the night before, so we had to go back!). It had received a number of rave reviews, and in fact had many compliments about its vegetarian fare. Al Tuguri definitely did not disappoint. The highlight of the night was Sarah’s flaming flan! (and no,Craig’s not entirely obsessed with flaming desserts…).

Thursday morning started very early, as we tried to repack for our flight to Rome. Did we mention we were flying on Ryanair? Yes, they do have cheap flights, but it comes with some sacrifice and special clauses. Definitely read the fine print before flying. Why you ask? We almost had to spend $500 for one piece of luggage....we’re not joking. Apparently, they charge 20 Euro per kilo over your allotted luggage weight. You also cannot change that amount once you’ve checked in on-line. We live and learn. With some puppy dog eyes, and determination, we were able to negotiate the price down substantially (playing the honeymoon card can sometimes work wonders). Fortunately, we and our luggage made it safely to Rome.

We rented our car and navigated (go Sarah, go!) our way into the heart of Rome. We thought our luck and fortune couldn’t have been getting any better, when we scored a parking spot not far from our hotel and from the Vatican. That evening, we walked through the historical streets of the city, taking in sights of St. Peter’s square, the Piazza Navona (ooh, good cappuccino!), the Pantheon, the Senate, Forum, and Colosseum. Believe it or not, we even stumbled upon a movie shoot (a German production about the Pope during WWII) and Sarah got to be part of the scene (see picture below :)).

The following morning, we found a fantastic café (the best chocolate croissants!) and fueled ourselves for a tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We marveled at Michelangelo’s handiwork, but couldn’t believe that he had done it all by paint-by-number! In all seriousness, it is a most impressive work (500 meters squared of painting on his back for 4 years), and he captures so much of the splendor of God. We were able to spend a significant amount of time taking it all in.

While we were at the Sistine Chapel, our hotel owners (a very sweet older couple) had graciously offered to watch our luggage (so we didn’t have to keep it in our car)…which brings us to the title of this blog. We discovered, much to our dismay, that our car had been broken into (although we admit that they did a very nice job—we couldn’t tell from the outside). What did they steal? What did they get away with? The felt liner of the trunk, one spare tire, and two squares of chocolate. We hope they enjoyed the chocolate.

So, minus one spare tire, we escaped Rome and headed to the much more secluded region of Umbria. It has been a nice change. We were greeted at the farmhouse by a welcome package including spinach lasagna and sparkling wine, and enjoyed the quiet serenity of the Umbrian hills.

Arrivaderci! But first, a short summary from Craig:

A new adventure awaits...Sardinia!

Buongiorno, from Sardinia, Italy! The last few days have been filled with a whirlwind of travel by car, taxi, and ferry… that’s a lot of movement for two travelers who are easily motion sick (we’ve decided that if we ever have kids, they’re doomed to have motion sickness as their Achilles heel). On Monday, we packed up our luggage and moved out of the Bergerie Mertatu villa that we stayed at for the first week in Olmeto, Corsica (a sad goodbye) and we traveled to the Figari airport (about 1 hour drive) to drop off our rental car. Getting there included a few mishaps (tale to be continued), and getting out of Figari had its own sense of adventure. It’s only when we arrived here in Sardinia that we truly realized how truly remote most of Corsica is. We had inquired about bus service between Figari and Bonifacio. We were told “non!” and when we arrived we realized why. Amongst the fig trees and sheep pastures and stray donkeys (seriously), there were only a few taxi cab drivers to be found, and we had to call them to come get us. The first guy we called actually said “non” as well; he was simply too far away. Fortunately, the next guy we called was amenable. After a pleasant chat with him along the way (he’s fascinated with U.S. maps and places like FIgari, Kansas), we arrived safe and sound in Bonifacio, where our ferry for Sardinia was due to leave the following morning.

Oh, did we mention that Italians like to strike? Yes, they do. In fact, our whole above adventure was prompted when the ferry company we had originally been scheduled to take decided not to go to work “indefinitely” (we’re not making this up). Our last night in Corsica was spent in the “haute ville” portion of Bonifacio, in a wonderful, quaint hotel (Colombo). The next day, we sailed the oceans blue, and were treated to some incredible views as we departed.

Arriving in Sardinia, we were greeted by blue skies and summertime sun (we feel like we’re cheating autumn). Did we mention that Sardinia is a bit more modern? We were surprised by the industry and the modernity, like 24-hour gas stations and painted houses. We were even able to get a pizza at mid-day (pretty much everything closes down between noon and 3 in Corsica).

We are now nestled in the old town portion of Alghero, which is a bustling, seaside city with gorgeous beaches and amazing character. Courtesy of Doris and Gerry Rosellini, we are staying at a restored nunnery in the heart of the old town (it’s now a hotel). We are looking forward to exploring the nearby environs, before heading to Rome and the Sistine Chapel tomorrow.

Day #12 into marriage, and we are more and more thankful every day.

Our top 10 from Corsica:

1. We totally enjoyed the villa; it felt like a "home away from home"
2. Our chef, Tom, who cooked us a few traditional local dishes the first two nights
3. Visiting the amazing city of Bonifacio, nestled at the tip of limestone cliffs
4. Celebrating Sarah's 31st birthday in Corsica and finding our favorite restaurant so far, U Castille
5. A hike to a pristine beach near Capubia
6. The pure ruggedness of the landscape and the great opportunity for adventure
7. Very warm and personable locals (we had a 45 minute conversation with a guy in the supermarket parking lot) 8. Chocolate croissants for breakfast. Mmmm!
9. A surprise lightning storm
10. Just enjoying a slower pace of life as a new married couple!

Parting thoughts: you all are in our thoughts and prayers, and we send you much love,

Craig & Sarah

Sarah turns 31 in Bonifacio!

Hello, again, from Corsica, France! Tonight is our last on this beautiful island; we've been blessed with perfect weather and a few amazing adventures over the past few days.

First, was a visit to our second beach, Capubia. A local dive shop owner told us how to get there...we walked along a rough dirt road for about an hour, and were rewarded with a treasured small beach cove, replete with cool underwater rock formations and schools of fish which made for some great snorkeling. We walked back into town and to our car just as the sun was going down.

Friday, we woke up to a cloudy day and headed to Sartene, the "most Corsican of Corsican towns", and where the word vendetta originated (they apparently had a history of some nasty feuds! one guy stayed locked in his house for nine years. Yikes!). We found everyone to be pretty darn nice. :) We also found out that cappucinos ordered here in Corsica come with whipped cream. Hmmm. We stumbled upon a shop that sells various fruit liquors, and the following sequence of pictures shows Sarah imbibing one raspberry flavored variety (That's strong!). I'm (Craig) seriously considering a new flammable dessert with it.















The next big adventure that we went on was for Sarah's 31st birthday. We drove to the southern most tip of the island to the city of Bonifacio, where we were awestruck by the views of the city built on cliffs of limestone:





Craig surprised me throughout the day with a series of small presents for my birthday and we ended the evening at a charming restaurant in the middle of the city. I (Sarah) definitely married a good one!

Tomorrow we start our travels to Sardinia, where we'll be staying in an old nunnery and partaking in real cappucinos!

Married 96 hours and loving it!

Greetings from Corsica, France!

It's day #2 staying at our quaint little villa tucked in the hills around Propriano, Corsica. It's been rough so far....we were greeted by champagne and a personal chef who whipped up a couple of amazing seafood dinners the first few nights. But, we did work hard to get here...it took about 24 hours to arrive. We had a direct flight to Paris where it was raining cats and dogs (booo!), where Craig was afraid he would never see the sun again, and where Sarah became one with the airport bench while trying to catch up on sleep. After a six hour lay-over, we finally caught another flight to Corsica!

We arrived in Ajaccio on Monday afternoon, and we were greeted with welcomed sunshine and blue skies. We hopped in our mini-Renault Clio (very cute, says Sarah!) and drove along some very curvy mountain roads. Those French drivers are crazy! With a stroke of luck, and after speaking to a few local farmers, we found our honeymoon getaway (up one very sketchy road..."under improvement" would be a compliment). Yesterday was spent clearing cobwebs from our brains, and recharging by taking innumerable naps next to the pool.

Today was our first adventure out onto the island...we went to Porto Pollo, and found the beaches almost deserted. A local dive shop owner greeted us with friendly advice, and pointed us in the direction of some great snorkeling. We dined on sardines the night before, today we swam with them. :) So says the ex-vegetarian.



Tomorrow? Perhaps a hike to another esteemed beach (don't worry, Sarah's wearing sunscreen...she's not beet-red, yet).


Love, Craig and Sarah