Italian Craftsmen

I found the following article (which is located on the Slow Travel web site here), written by an Italian woman, great food for thought regarding purchases in Italy to bring home.  If  you click on the link to the Slow Travel web site you will find several articles about specific Italian craftsmen.  Unfortunately, none of them are located in the areas we will be in next week, but it's fascinating reading.

Slow Masters - Introduction

Letizia Mattiacci (Madona del Piatto)

Sometimes I wonder why shopping while on holidays is so much fun. I mean, most of us live in worlds where there are shopping opportunities at every corner. 

The thrill of something new and exotic is irresistible though. In addition, that object you buy will become a reminder of the sights and colors and emotions of a special time and place.

Hand painted Umbrian ceramics: a wonderful plate by Franco Mari in Deruta

There are endless ways to pursue the perfect souvenir.

I tend to go to department stores for purely utilitarian reasons. With globalization they all look the same down to the potpourri deodorizers and the focaccia/sushi bars. Only rarely have I found there something that had a link to a country and its people.

On the other hand, visiting colorful markets, quaint little boutiques and artisan workshops can be as valuable a cultural experience as the next monument.

This is particularly true in Italy. If you look beyond the glitzy made-in-China international brands, you will find a wealth of small artisans. Splendid ceramics, jewelry, textiles, iron, leather, wood and glass work, everything is there. And food, lots of special foods and drinks produced often by a single family or man.

Artisan food is widely available in Italy

Italian artisans might use modern technology and materials but they produce the same beauty, quality, and individual character of each object as centuries ago.

Theirs is no romantic life, really. They need to pay their bills. They are chased out of prime shopping areas by said international brands. They might not know how to use the Internet or speak foreign languages. There is no time for marketing when you run the business by yourself and need most hours to actually produce the merchandise, often by hand or with limited machinery.

Buying from an artisan, it's not only a gesture of appreciation of beauty, it is also a contribution to the tradition, to the preservation of knowledge and to the local economy.

Here are my tips for a successful craft hunt:

• Research: all good guidebooks and many travel websites have information about arts and crafts in a specific area or region.
• Go to the source: when possible buy from the maker. Not only will you have a chance of a better price but you might gain interesting insights into the history of the artisan and his craft and see how it is made.
• Compare: good crafts are plagued by imitations which might not be cheaper. When I am not sure how to tell one from another, I visit a reputable workshop or the local craft museum to get acquainted with the best. Then I visit different shops and compare prices and quality until I fall in love with something that looks typical and unique at the same time.

Back home you will have a little piece of Italy, our strange country, a country full of contrast and complexity, a country of extremes. A country where so much beauty can be found even behind a metal door.

The fabulous Brozzetti workshop in Perugia producing textiles on 100 years old looms

The forecast for next week in Sorrento, as of 5 PM today, from weather.com:

One More Last Minute Detail

Someone just reminded me of a pre-trip task that wasn't on my "last minute details" list (published last week):

Return library books!

Arrival in Italia

Our flight is scheduled to land at Rome's international airport, known by both its location (Fiumicino) as well as its name (Leonardo da Vinci), but usually referred to as Roma Fiumicino.

After leaving the plane, we will either (a) be bussed from the tarmac to the terminal building (the most likely scenario) or (b) take a tram ride from the satellite gates (seen in the foreground of the picture above) to the main building (like you do in the Orlando and Tampa airports) and wait on line to go through Passport Control.  Be sure to get on a line that says "Non EU Nationals" as in the picture below.  When you get to the window, hand the officer your passport.

After clearing Passport Control, we'll follow signs that say "ritiro bagagli" (baggage claim) and collect our luggage.  There will be monitors to tell us which carrousel our luggage will be on.  Once we have our bags, we'll exit into the main arrivals hall where either our Tour Director, Salvatore, or our bus driver will meet us and escort us to our bus.  He will be carrying a sign that says "Christ Church".

For those who will be looking to get Euros, along the way we will pass by several ATM machines (called "Bancomat" in Italian).  Look for this sign to identify them:

 For those who like maps, you can download PDF files of the airport maps here:  Rome Fiumicino Airport Terminal 3 Map.  You can zoom in on the map or print a copy to take with you, if you like.  The key that explains the symbols on the map is on page two.

Weather in Sorrento

Today in Sorrento the high is 68° and the low tonight is forecasted to be 52°.  A slight warming trend is expected by weather.com; their ten-day extended forecast is projecting the following for our first few days in Sorrento:

Sunday, 10/16:  Sunny, High 76°, Low 52°

Monday, 10/17:  Sunny, High 75°, Low 54°

Tuesday, 10/18:  Partly Cloudy, High 75°, Low 56°

Wednesday, 10/19:  Partly Cloudy, High 75°, Low 57°

Departing from Newark

One week from today!

Check in for our flight will take place at Newark Airport, Terminal B.

The Alitalia check-in desks are located at Door # 4.

The desk is supposed to open at 1 PM, but there's no guarantee that it actually will (it didn't today, I was there a little after 1 PM and there were no Alitalia employees in sight).

The best time to arrive at the airport is between 2 - 3 PM.  There will be an ABC Destinations representative at the Alitalia check in area if you have any questions or need help with the check in process.

Just to your right as you enter through door #4 is the Alitalia check in area.  Look for these signs:

You will receive your boarding pass and seat assignment when you check your bags, then it's off to security (see post from October 4th for hints on how to make the security check go as smoothly as possible).   The gate will be on your boarding pass; typically Alitalia flights leave from the B2 gates (gates B51 - B57).  You can see the layout of the terminal here.

This is a small gate area, but there is a bar, a snack stand and a news agent.

Beating Jet Lag

What do you do to beat jet lag? I've received all kinds of advice from friends and the internet, some of it conflicting.

Everyone seems to agree on:

• Stay hydrated
• Avoid alcohol and anything caffeinated in flight
• Do eat breakfast either before landing, or immediately thereafter
• Switch your watch to your destination’s time zone as soon as you get seated on the plane

There’s outright conflict on a couple of things:

• Don’t go to sleep until bedtime at your destination

OR

• Take a short nap (no more than 90 minutes) upon arrival

 

• Use movies, a book or an IPOD to help you sleep

OR

• Avoid entertainment on the plane as it will keep you awake

Other ideas:

• Alter your eating schedule to match your destination three days before flying
• Eat carbohydrate rich foods the night before the flight
• Eat protein immediately after landing
• Don’t eat the evening meal on the plane, because it’s the middle of the night at your destination
• Fast for 24 hours before traveling and don’t eat until arrival
• Wear a large scarf or pashmina that can double as a blanket in flight, if the AC is too high
• Use noise-canceling head phones to help sleep

What works for you?

Reader’s Digest article: http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/jet-lag-and-sleep/article54848.html

Live Science article re fasting: http://www.livescience.com/health/080522-food-clock.html

Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201001/beating-jet-lag

CBS Early Show Video, with Dr. Jennifer Ashton http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6680699n&tag=mncol;lst;1





Last Minute Details

What's on your last minute list?

• Alert credit card companies and banks (if you will be using your ATM card to get cash) that you will be using the cards in Italy
• Make a list of numbers to call if credit cards are lost/stolen, carry one copy with you and leave one with someone you trust
• Send itinerary and flight info to family, put a copy in your checked luggage as well as carry on
• Send a link to this blog to family and friends
• Add international calling to cell phone plan
• Check the long-range forecast (www.weather.com or www.wunderground.com) and make sure you have appropriate clothing
• Check the camera batteries; put the camera manual in your bag and pack extra batteries or a battery charger
• Update voice mail and e-mail auto-reply message
• Charge device batteries (pda, iPod, mobile phone) and spares
• E-mail critical documents to your webmail account (for example, make a pdf file of your passport information page and mail it to yourself)
• Remove unnecessary cards from wallet (library, video rental, punch cards, extra credit cards)

Household stuff:

• Set heat and water heater at minimum
• Set lights on timers
• Turn off coffee pots or other appliances with automatic turn on
• Turn off ice maker
• Get rid of perishables in refrigerator
• Water plants
• Empty trash and clean kitchen
• Lock all windows and doors
• Power-off computer and other sensitive electronic equipment

Getting Through Airport Security

The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has a mantra to help passengers get through the security check as quickly and easily as possible:  Pack Smart, Dress the Part, and Have Your Documents Ready.

Pack Smart
   * Have your liquids, all less than 3.4 ozs, in a one quart clear plastic zip lock bag
   * Layer things in your carry on
   * Make sure your laptop (or other large electronics) are easy to pull out for separate
     inspection

Dress the Part
   * Remove everything from your pockets before you get to the head of the line
   * Wear shoes that come off and go back on easily
   * Take off your outer layers (jackets, bulky sweaters, scarves)
   * Consider wearing pants that stay up without a belt
  
Have Your Documents Ready
   * Boarding Pass (you will get this when you check your bags at the airport)
   * Passport

You can find all the detail here:  How to get through the line faster

A Prayer for Travelers

This Sunday, October 9th, everyone is invited to come to either the 8 AM or 10 AM service at Christ Church when there will be a special send-off for the group:

 O God, our heavenly Father,

whose glory fills the whole creation,

and whose presence we find wherever we go:

Preserve those who travel;

surround them with your loving care;

protect them from every danger;

and bring them in safety to their journey's end;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Public Restroom Survival Kit

Since you never know what you will find (or not find)

Enough said.