I have wanted to go to South Africa pretty desperately ever since our friends Kathryn and Ole told us about their wonderful trip there, and that was maybe 17 years ago? It has been a long time. So it seems impossible (impossibly thrilling) that John and I are living in the month of our departure date!
I am so excited about all of our slated activities. I have printed out the 42 page PDF with all of our reservations and maps between towns. I use the app TripIt to gather all our movements into one easy package. Here is the general motion of the trip:
We are using British Airways to fly direct Phoenix to Heathrow, then Heathrow to Cape Town. Usually we use miles to fly, but since this was a far (and cheap) flight, we paid for the trip to get the massive amounts of miles on the cheap.
First we are driving out from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, where we are staying for two nights at Spier Wine Farm.
Then a flight from Cape Town to Durban, and we will drive out to Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park for some luxury lodge living and Big Five game drives.
We decided on two locations in Cape Town so we get a feel for coast and town. We will stay four nights at Rouge on Rose in the Bo Kaap area, then move to the ocean to Cape View Clifton. We have chosen lots of great restaurants and activities for our stay there. One is Foxcroft. Another is Reverie. Can’t wait!
And thanks, British Airways, for this feature that allows me to plan my movies for the 10 and 11.5 hour flights. I have a lot to catch up on!
It was just a little stressful getting into Sirimone. It reminded me of trying to get into some of the walled cities we visited in Croatia. There was a lot of traffic and parking was far away and we didn’t know where to go. But once settled into our room at Hotel Sirimone, we were able to relax and head out for a tour of the city. It was touristy! Lots of little shops and more per capita gelato shops than anywhere I have ever seen. We hunted for a while for a restaurant, and finally decided on a place that was totally packed–always a good sign. We weren’t super hungry so we walked around while waiting for our table. Guess what? The pasta was delicious!
We left Verona and had a short drive to our next hotel near the start line for our race. We decided to take a leisurely drive up the east coast of the lake since we would be coming back the west lake on our way back to the airport. It was very windy and it was very chilly. It made for some dramatic vistas.
Soon our friends Xavi and Helena arrived! We met Xavi at a Skyrace in the Dolomites and kept in touch. He and Helena love Italy so when we invited them to the race at Lake Garda they said yes right away! What a wonderful visit we had with them! Helena and I did the short race and stopped to take plenty of pictures. Xavi and John did the long race and it was pretty grueling.
The next day the sun was gorgeous and we hated to say goodbye! But we had to. And John and I drove back down the west coast of the lake, both agreeing we could spend a lot of time here.
Our friend Larry Hughes who used to own an Italian restaurant in Phoenix told us that his favorite place in Italy is Verona. We considered that to be a very high recommendation! We chose Hotel Accademia for lodging since it was in the center but also offered parking. We found the service to be good and the hotel itself to be somewhat traditional. Breakfast was a touch on the light side. We got a lot of street noise since we were on a pedestrian thoroughfare and could hear revelers coming home at all hours. Still it was fun to be right in the historical center of the town.
We did reserve dinner in Verona, because John really wanted to go Casa Perbellini. What an interesting experience. The table next to us was occupied by two parents and two kids playing on their iPads. We found prices steep for two, much less three!
The next day we had a nice wander around old town, including a hike up to the castle, before we hit the road for Lake Garda.
Our trip to Italy had a singular purpose: To run the sky race on Lake Garda with our friends Xavi and Helena, who live in Barcelona. John and I found it was easiest to fly into Milan, and since we had never been there, we figured two nights was a good amount of time to stay. We booked the Senato Hotel Milano, and they were very friendly. The bed was big and comfortable and the breakfast was good. We had a rainy day of touring and a clear morning before we took off for Verona.
In the Old City Center
Pulpo!
Delicious prosciutto and burrata
My favorite meal ever. Taglietelli with mushrooms and truffles.
Huge thanks to Dante DiStefano for this “Meet the Press” interview with me and Utah State University editor Michael Spooner on the Best American Poetry Blog.
I am so very grateful to Jake Friedman and Four Chambers Press for such a wonderful book release party at Ocotillo Restaurant and Bar in Phoenix. Here is a video of the reading. Thank you to everyone who came out to the party!
Huge thanks to Dante DiStefano for this “
