Italy and other matters!
Hello all,
I've had my first full night's sleep without coughing last night and so I'm feeling refreshed and ready to tell my tales of Italy. We went for a total of 5 nights, 3 in Bologna and 2 in Venice. It was a 30th birthday celebration for me, Ian, and some friends of mine from school, Claire and Jo, and Claire's husband Rob. Jo's fiancé Ian came too, although he had his 30th birthday a few years ago. Jo and Ian picked Ian and I up from our house on Tuesday and we went to the airport. We flew to Venice Marco Polo airport and then took a train from the airport to Bologna. Bologna is a very beautiful city with wide arched walkways and grand buildings. The region is home to many of Italy's most famous foods, Parma ham, parmesan cheese, and tortellini, bolognaise sauce and lasagna.
Of course we had to sample them! Bologna is known as 'la grasse' - the fat, with good reason. We really did indulge ourselves! The weather was cold, but clear and sunny and we spent the next 2 days exploring the city. Bologna is home to Europe's oldest university (established in 1088 AD) and the due torri - two medieval towers, one of which you can climb, which we did. Very scary! It is 93 meters tall and you have to climb many wooden steps, which probably aren't, but feel rickety! The view was well worth the effort! We also went to an anatomical waxworks museum, full of strange wax models of the brain, muscles and all kinds of 'abnormalities' such as smallpox, conjoined twins and tumors. There were some skeletons displayed with the waxworks and it made for the weirdest museum I have ever been to. Needless to say, it is somewhat off the tourist trail and the curators opened the museum especially for us. The waxworks were used as teaching aids in the 18th and 19th centuries and were an important element of medical training.
On Friday we went to the train station to get our 11.42am train. No train listed, very busy station, Jo went to every window and eventually found someone to talk to, only to find out the train wasn't going because of the 'estoppa' - STRIKE! Argghhh. Jo was cursing us and Italian transport so we went to the bus station - no bus to Venice until the next day. Much more cursing and gnashing of teeth. So we went to Avis and hired a car - Jo's Ian drove, we ate sandwiches and chocolate, and all was right in the world. A mere 2 hours later we were in Venice, we dropped our car off next to the largest car park in Europe, and lo and behold there was our hotel - the hotel Santa Chiara. It was on the car park for the bus station. On NO! Then we saw a big sign with windows behind it and said - knowing our luck that will be our room - and it was! There we were in Venice with a brilliant view of a car park, the back of a sign and a bus station. Lovely. But never mind, the hotel was on the grand canal and we got on a vaporetto and went into Venice. It is truly the most beautiful city. We walked to St Mark's square, went in the Basilica, went out for dinner and waited for Claire and Rob to arrive. Ryan air was late, which meant they were, but we got wine and food for them and they had no trouble finding the hotel from the bus station! And then there were 6, we ate, we drank, we laughed, we joked, we looked at beautiful buildings. It was truly fantastic. We did nothing worthy and everything was worthwhile.
So then it was back home and back to work. My dad has had a good couple of weeks. After a settling in period he is now on a full therapy schedule. 1 1/2 hours of physiotherapy a day and 1 1/2 hours of occupational therapy Monday - Thursday. On Fridays there is no occupational therapy but an extra session of physiotherapy. He is beginning to settle in to the routine, meet other patients and is extremely pleased to be out and about. On Friday he actually pushed his wheelchair a little bit! He has made some goals for treatment with the OTs - move himself around in his wheelchair, feed himself, and learn to use a computer. All worthy goals - some he feels are more possible than others but he really likes and respects the OTs and the PTs and wants to get better. On Thursday afternoons, after his OT session, there is a patient education class. This week the topic was 'dealing with spinal chord injury'. Very pertinent. My dad is constantly being inspired by the patients around him, who were as paralyzed as he is and are now close to walking. He's received so much love and support from everyone, he's been overwhelmed at times, but it will be the key to his recovery! Please keep in touch. Much love,
Airasa
I've had my first full night's sleep without coughing last night and so I'm feeling refreshed and ready to tell my tales of Italy. We went for a total of 5 nights, 3 in Bologna and 2 in Venice. It was a 30th birthday celebration for me, Ian, and some friends of mine from school, Claire and Jo, and Claire's husband Rob. Jo's fiancé Ian came too, although he had his 30th birthday a few years ago. Jo and Ian picked Ian and I up from our house on Tuesday and we went to the airport. We flew to Venice Marco Polo airport and then took a train from the airport to Bologna. Bologna is a very beautiful city with wide arched walkways and grand buildings. The region is home to many of Italy's most famous foods, Parma ham, parmesan cheese, and tortellini, bolognaise sauce and lasagna.
Of course we had to sample them! Bologna is known as 'la grasse' - the fat, with good reason. We really did indulge ourselves! The weather was cold, but clear and sunny and we spent the next 2 days exploring the city. Bologna is home to Europe's oldest university (established in 1088 AD) and the due torri - two medieval towers, one of which you can climb, which we did. Very scary! It is 93 meters tall and you have to climb many wooden steps, which probably aren't, but feel rickety! The view was well worth the effort! We also went to an anatomical waxworks museum, full of strange wax models of the brain, muscles and all kinds of 'abnormalities' such as smallpox, conjoined twins and tumors. There were some skeletons displayed with the waxworks and it made for the weirdest museum I have ever been to. Needless to say, it is somewhat off the tourist trail and the curators opened the museum especially for us. The waxworks were used as teaching aids in the 18th and 19th centuries and were an important element of medical training.
On Friday we went to the train station to get our 11.42am train. No train listed, very busy station, Jo went to every window and eventually found someone to talk to, only to find out the train wasn't going because of the 'estoppa' - STRIKE! Argghhh. Jo was cursing us and Italian transport so we went to the bus station - no bus to Venice until the next day. Much more cursing and gnashing of teeth. So we went to Avis and hired a car - Jo's Ian drove, we ate sandwiches and chocolate, and all was right in the world. A mere 2 hours later we were in Venice, we dropped our car off next to the largest car park in Europe, and lo and behold there was our hotel - the hotel Santa Chiara. It was on the car park for the bus station. On NO! Then we saw a big sign with windows behind it and said - knowing our luck that will be our room - and it was! There we were in Venice with a brilliant view of a car park, the back of a sign and a bus station. Lovely. But never mind, the hotel was on the grand canal and we got on a vaporetto and went into Venice. It is truly the most beautiful city. We walked to St Mark's square, went in the Basilica, went out for dinner and waited for Claire and Rob to arrive. Ryan air was late, which meant they were, but we got wine and food for them and they had no trouble finding the hotel from the bus station! And then there were 6, we ate, we drank, we laughed, we joked, we looked at beautiful buildings. It was truly fantastic. We did nothing worthy and everything was worthwhile.
So then it was back home and back to work. My dad has had a good couple of weeks. After a settling in period he is now on a full therapy schedule. 1 1/2 hours of physiotherapy a day and 1 1/2 hours of occupational therapy Monday - Thursday. On Fridays there is no occupational therapy but an extra session of physiotherapy. He is beginning to settle in to the routine, meet other patients and is extremely pleased to be out and about. On Friday he actually pushed his wheelchair a little bit! He has made some goals for treatment with the OTs - move himself around in his wheelchair, feed himself, and learn to use a computer. All worthy goals - some he feels are more possible than others but he really likes and respects the OTs and the PTs and wants to get better. On Thursday afternoons, after his OT session, there is a patient education class. This week the topic was 'dealing with spinal chord injury'. Very pertinent. My dad is constantly being inspired by the patients around him, who were as paralyzed as he is and are now close to walking. He's received so much love and support from everyone, he's been overwhelmed at times, but it will be the key to his recovery! Please keep in touch. Much love,
Airasa
posted by Fearless Leader Sue at 8:25 PM
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