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PARIS10 #11 Ettal to Sirmione, Italy

August 27-29, 2010

Friday, August 27, 2010

Today is our granddaughter ANABELLA'S 7th Birthday

I woke at 4:00, 7:30, and 9:00 and finally forced myself to get up at 9:35 because

we were going to meet Urs and Christine this morning. At 10:00 I joined Marcia, John and Najwa for their breakfast and had a cappuccino while they ate. I put together a nice ham and cheese sandwich to take with me since the breakfast was included in the package. At 11:40, our friends from Germany, Drs. Urs and Christine Vossmerb�umer (below right) joined us and we had a great time chatting and catching up on what they were now doing.

We got packed up and at 12:00 checked out of the hotel. After pack-loading the car again, at 1:10 John drove the 215 miles south from Germany to Sirmione, Italy (map.) At 1:15, we stopped and made sure to buy the Austrian Highway permit (center) since we will be crossing Austria and the fines are very high if you don't have one. At 2:40, we stopped and got the Brenner Autobahn Pass sticker for �8 and some cokes. At 5:00, we were on the Autostrada del Brennero which we had to pay a toll of �13.9.

Here is a view of the Brenner Pass on the Italian side at the Vipiteno exit heading to Bolzano (Bozen.) At 5:45 we arrived in Sirmione and checked into Hotel Sirmione [19 Piazza Castello, +39-03-091-6331] and it was �186 ($262) per night; much higher than we like to spend but we had no choice. John and I are here to spend time working on the logistics of a new IOL power formula and this was a perfect spot to do it. It looks like they fixed the big dent in the metal canopy above the door (below right) that I witnessed done by a van truck on one of our previous stays.

Our room is in the building next door (below) which overlooks the water and where the pool is. They gave us room #101.

Right outside our entrance is the view of the castle.

Since I hadn't run yet, I changed and at 7:45 did my customary run to Villa Pioppi and got back in time (8:15) to join Marcia, John and Najwa for a little wine and Prosecco looking out over the lake.

The ladies relaxed while John and I talked formulas. From the hotel promenade we have a view of the pier where the boat stops that goes to all the towns along the lake. The sunset was beautiful.

The four of us finally headed out and arrived at 9:30 for dinner at Ristorante Pizzeria Valentino (below) [10 Piazza Porto Valentino, +39-30-91-6112.] This is probably our favorite place to eat here.

Our coperto for the four of us was �8. We ordered from their extensive menu. We got some aqua and tried their local wine: Carlo Zenegaglia Gardo Pinot Grigio 2009 which was very good.

We started by sharing a fabulous pizza margherita which was only �6. I was dying for some French fries.

For a secondi, Marcia had Trota alla griglia (grilled lake trout,) with spinaci al oglio (spinach with oil.)

Najwa had branzino alla griglia. I decided to have their wonderful prosciutto � melone (below left) which was great as usual. For secondi John and I both had tortellini carne panna prosciutto (below right.)

We all agreed the meal was excellent. Our waiter, Dennis, is originally from Albania and treated us perfectly. The owner is Fabio and the chef is Massimo. Congrats to the beautiful job they do here.

After dinner we walked around in the balmy weather and at 11:20 we stopped at Bar Gino and we had limoncello. Then we stopped and had gelato limone (above) at Fortune [26 Via Vittorio Emanuelle.] We walked back to our room and again I got to bed at 12:30 AM. It must be the early morning run.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

I woke at 8:00 and again at 8:45 when I decided to get up early (for me.) By 9:00 I was running again to Villa Pioppi and at 9:30, when I was done, headed straight to Bar Gino for a cappuccino. Then at 10:15 I went back to the hotel to join Marcia, John and Najwa for the free hotel breakfast. Below left is the hotel reception desk and on the right is the breakfast layout.

John had M�sli with pineapples.

I had another cappuccino and then eggs and bacon with a brioche an also made a ham and cheese sandwich for later.

At 12:35, they went off to wander around and I headed straight for the pool area. I first took a seat at the edge of the water with my computer and worked on PhotoStitching.

It was getting a little warm there so I moved to one of the tables in the shade and ordered a large bottle of Pelligrino and my third cappuccino. I worked to finish my lecture slides for my talks at the upcoming ESCRS meeting.

At 1:45 Marcia had lunch at Il Guelfo [Vicolo Bisse 1, +39-03-091-9225.] Then at 2:30, John and Najwa joined me for a swim in the pool to relax. We worked some more on formulas.

The Italians make you wear these silly caps to keep your hair from getting in the pool. I only learned now that they were mandatory - I have never used one. At 3:45 I went back to the room and washed out some clothes. Then at 4:00, I ate that ham sandwich I made earlier. Unusual for me to eat at this time of day. At 4:15 I set up my iPod Nano with ten Rush tapes and then tried to use WiFi to upload my ESCRS talks but it wouldn't work. At 5:30 I uploaded my ESCRS talks thanks to Paolo, I was ultimately able to get it all done. I sent up the two Savini talks, my talk and my lecture at the Arup course.

I decided to go to the Saturday Mass so I headed out to St. Maria Maggiore and attended the 6:30 Mass. [I have shown the church in several previous trip Diarios. I got back at 7:15 and joined Marcia, Najwa and John on the terrace and, while they were having wine, I had a Franziskaner Weissbier.

While we were sitting there discussing formulas, we looked up and noticed there were folks parasailing over the lake.

We got a chance to watch them land and enjoy another sunset.

At 10:00, we headed to dinner and decided to start with just a pizza at Al Pescatore [via Piana 20/22, +39-03-091-6216.] This place opened the year I was born, 1943.

We ordered a bottle of S Cristina Lugana 2009 and a pizza margherita we all shared. I was not impressed with the pizza and we decided to go elsewhere for the rest of our dinner.

You can tell by looking at it, it is nothing like Valentino's. We then got a table at Ristorante Re Desiderio [Via Antiche Mura, 11, +39-030-919-6683.] We decided to sit inside.

The others ordered Insalata Caprese (below center) and green salad (right.)

Instead I had a prosciutto melone (below left) followed by a spaghetti Bolognese (right.)

The ladies had fresh grilled Lake fish (below left) and John and I had lasagna (below right.)

We heard some noise and I walked out into the courtyard and saw they had fireworks going on.

We finished dining and then headed to Bar Gino for a coffee at 11:15. I was very happy to see that Anna was there. She has been serving me my "early" cappuccinos since our first visit in 1997 and I have never gotten a picture of her. She is such a lovely lady and this time John was able to get a photo of us. Say hello to her if you ever go there.

John and I had an espresso and then the four of us had a limoncello. We had a wonderful time and I believe John and Najwa learned to appreciate Sirmione as we do.

We easily meandered our way back to the hotel and got to bed at 12:30 AM

Sunday August 29, 2010

I woke at 7:15, 9:30, and 10:15 and immediately got up so I could do my run before it got too hot. I started my run at 11:40 and headed my usual route to Villa Pioppi. This is our ninth time in Sirmione and I have described this place many times in these Diarios. As a reminder, here is a map (below left) of Lago di Garda which I found on a wall made of small tiles during my run. On the right is a map of the peninsula sticking up into lake.

Here is a closer look at the little island at the tip. You can see the castle near the bridge and our hotel which is just below it. The church is to the left of the castle and the huge Palazzo hotel we stayed at for the meeting last year is in the north central part.

As I headed away from the island after crossing the bridge, I got this panorama including our hotel.

Along the run to the Villa, there is this little park along the water that I enjoy running through. On my way back, I came across a few interesting artistic expressions.

I came across this boat in the park near the parking lot. I have no idea what it is trying to say.

I guess it is protesting something military. There was also this ad for a telephone company and the city seal.

Also in the park is this fountain with an anchor in it.

At the end of the parking lot I again approach the hotel and castle.

There is no way to run across this bridge. Picture yourself driving a car across it. It is fun getting the crowds to part and let you through.

At 12:00 Marcia told me she was shopping and bought some jewelry. At 12:15 I reached Bar Gino, and as always, my favorite seat was empty (above right.) Anna served me a very nice cappuccino while I worked on my computer regarding the formula ideas John and I have been discussing. At 1:15 Marcia again had lunch at Il Guelfo [1 Vicolo Bisse, +39-03-091-9225.] I got back to the hotel at 1:30 and checked out.

Here is what our room looked like.

We all got packed up and they brought our car to the front so we could load it up again for the very last time. We took off at 2:40 and again John was kind enough to make the 94 mile drive south and then east to Venezia.

At 3:00 PM, we stopped to fill up the gas at an IP station with an automatic pump. It cost �60 ($84.) Thankfully a guy on a motorcycle told us how to use the automatic station.

It is quite a complicated procedure.

At 4:10 we had to pay the Autostradali toll of �8.6 and then at 4:25 we stopped at another IP Gas station to topup the tank so we wouldn't get charged for gas since we are almost there. We are almost there. Now for several days in Venezia.

ASIDE: The news of Pope Benedict XVI resigning noted that this is the first time a pope has resigned in 600 years. The last to do so was Gregory XII but it was not because of old age; it was a very specific situation: the Western Schism. There were a line of Anti-Popes in Avignon, France claiming to be the pope at the same time there were popes in Rome. Gregory was only elected in Rome in 1406 with the absolute vow he would resign if the Avignon Anti-Pope, Benedict XIII (coincidental?,) would also resign. I discussed this issue in the Avignon France Diario #25. Click on it to read it. It is a complicated story but Benedict vacated Avignon in 1408 and Gregory was "forced" to resign in 1415. The Schism was over but his successor, Martin V was not elected until 1419, two years after Gregory died.

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes the historically obscure resignations of Pontian (230�235) and Marcellinus (296�308,) the historically postulated resignation of Liberius (352�366,) and one catalogue of popes lists John XVIII as resigning office in 1009.

The first historically unquestionable papal resignation is that of Benedict IX in 1045. In order to rid the Church of the scandalous Benedict, Gregory VI gave Benedict "valuable possessions" to resign the papacy in his favor. Gregory himself resigned in 1046 because the arrangement he had entered into with Benedict was considered simony. Benedict IX was a pip, having been the first outwardly homosexual pope (elected at age 20) and the only one to serve as pope more than once (3 times.) read the resignations including the conditional one made by Pius XII and John Paul II. What is it with these Gregorys and Benedicts?

What Benedict XVI has just done is truly historic.

KJH Go To -> NEXT DIARIO #12

Kenneth J. Hoffer, MD

KHofferMD@AOL.com

Sirmione, Italy

Sent 2-12-2013

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