Training Log Archive: Charlie

Ran the 2011Venice Street O course with Rhonda, or at least most of it. Enormously entertaining. Started from home, headed over Accademia to #8, then 9, 10,11,12, 13, and then switched over to do 1-7 and then home from there. No particular difficulty except for going too wide on the way to 7. Not going fast, stopping to confirm Rhonda knew where she was a few times, and not pushing any old ladies on the bridges, which seemed particularly unnecessary given the stakes involved, and which is a questionable strategy at any time. Very good fun, and none the worse for wear afterwards.

Map from 2011

C • Fond memories... 4

Out and about with George and Leslie. We took the boat from Ca’ Rezzonico to Ca’d’Oro, then walked to Fondamente Nuove and the 4.2 Vaporetto to Cimitero and thence to Murano. Strolled around for a while looking at extremely expensive glass, and having escaped the fragile trinkets zone, returned to Fondamente Nuove. We then proceeded to a most excellent lunch at Osteria Alla Staffa, a restaurant we have thought of often. It is under new ownership since we were last there, and remarkably even better. The four of us all ordered something different, and all were most pleased. I had spaghetti with frutti di mare, shrimp, baby clams, mussels, squid and a few mystery creatures. Rhonda had baccala (cod) prepared three ways, with white polenta. George had black ravioli stuffed with sea bass and some other things, most appealing, and Leslie had spaghetti with scallops, tomatoes and a few other things. Very successful.

Then we strolled through Castello past Arsenale to the Riva, caught the boat back to Ca’ Rezzonico Some food shopping and home.

Out again with Rhonda, a brisk walk up to Rialto, a little shopping, and back via Accademia.

A lot of walking around Venice. In the morning just wandering around with Rhonda and Leslie while George was out running an old o course, past the University, checked out the pastry shop but certainly not hungry and I had already had enough coffee, more or less headed toward Rialto, through San Polo, and then we started looking for suspenders for George, found them with a little help. Then worked our way back, stopping at the nice cheese shop Pantagruelica in Campo San Barnaba, chatting up the owner as we expanded to get some really nice bread, some organic olives, nd. Bottle of wine to go with our two kinds of cheese. Then a little extra excursion to track down Rhonda’s favorite wine bar and home for a bit.

Not home for long and George was home nd ready to go, so out we went again. Checked out the gondola repair shop on our way down to Zattere, then to the Accademia bridge, through the Christmas market in Santo Stefano, and then stopped for the tour of La Fenice. A little of that goes a long way for me. And even longer for Rhonda. Strolled through San Marco, and through a few campi to SS. Giovanni e Paolo, thought about eating in Santa Marina, but didn’t like the looks of it and went a few blocks further to the Olandese Volante for some spaghetti alla scogliera (seafood) and insalata con tonno e capperi among other things. And then across Rialto and toward home, stopping at the vegetable boat at San Barnaba for a few things.

Out again with Rhonda. Through San Barnaba and Santa Margarita to San Pantalon, and eventually worked our way over to Piazzale Roma and the bus station, then over Ponte Calatrava to the railroad station, through Cannaregio, stopping in Campo Nuovo Ghetto, still predominantly a Jewish enclave, then E, eventually turning S to Santa Marina and past Rialto, through San Luca, Manin, San Anzolo, Santo Stefano, where we bought some glass jewelry for the girls, across Accademia. We went by Rhonda’s favorite wine bar to see if it looked like where we would have dinner and decided that we would not - no place to sit. So home, and eventually dinner at home. The best meal of the trip.

We think the m8leage total for the day is about 12.

Around Verona in the new, if slushy, snow, and after our fine breakfast at the Hotel Milano & Spa. We walked East across the Adige, then along to look at the Ancient Roman Theatre and then cross back at the ancient stone bridge, Ponte Di Pietra. Then we wandered over to the Duomo, and a little tour of the Battistero and the archeological site of the paleochristian church, then over to San Fermo, the other really old church that interested me, and then back to check out and head for the station and to Venice. Had a nice soup for lunch at a bar along the walk to the station, sort of like a ribollita, but no bread. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley, rice, and a hearty stock, with a spoonful of parmigiano for good measure.

Dicey travel day. We waited until 7:45 for the 7:06 from Dormelletto, at which point our friend Matt decided to take us by car to Milan, where it turned out that our train to Verona was already 10 minutes late, which stretched to an hour and 5 minutes. But eventually we arrived, hoofed around town for a while, stopped for lunch at a little place near San Fermo and had some very nice Fettuccine with Mushrooms, lots of different kinds, and after a bit went back to the station to look for George and Leslie.

Some light snow arrived to greet the Californians, who were charmed by it.

C • Light snow in Verona? 2

After an hour lolling about in the steam room and sauna, out to a vey nice dinner with George and Leslie at Osteria Locandina Cappello, Rhonda and I split a first of what they called spaghetti alla chitarra: spaghetti oh so perfectly cooked with a sauce of turnip greens and anchovies, breadcrumbs, andwith a complementary sauce of stracciatella cheese. Quite delicious, very deep green color. Then we had rack of lamb, very meaty, quite rare, with a mustard crust. Finally we all shared a large slice of tiramisù, very good, but made us think of the perhaps even better tiramisù that Katia brought to the Rhino.

Leisurely breakfast, then we took the train into Milan from Arona with Matt and Sheryl and the girls, then subway to the Duomo area. So crowded! A lot of walking around town, tried to get into the Duomo, but the lines were just way too long, so instead we went to the church of San Bernardino alle Ossa, and har to imagine the Duomo could have been any more interesting. An entire chapel lined floor to ceiling with human bones. And then some more walking around, stopped for a few coffees, and eventually walked back to Garibaldi and caught the last train back. We had a very lovely mushroom risotto Matt cooked, and some fine wine, stayed up a while talking about this and that. Very impressed with the level of the homework the girls are doing in school. Georgia’s 5th grade grammar book covers a lot of the same ground that my graduate class did.

C • Bones 2

In Dormelletto, Italia with our friends Matt and Sheryl and their kids, Georgia and Rosie. Nice walk in the park in the morning with Matt and the girls, then a little road trip to Lake Orta where we had a pretty fine lunch at the hotel in Orta San Giulio next to the lake, lake fish ravioli for me. Rhonda stayed home to nurse some jet lag. Pretty fine here.

In the gym with Eric, usual deadlifts, goblet squats, rowing, stretching, core, rolling.

2 dog loops. Nice day, definitely not fast. Good to get out before a long travel day.