2016 ITALY Rome 3 - Getting There

On September 15, eight folks met at the Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo at 13:00 for a limo-van to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. We were happy to meet our new traveling buddies again. The others had gone a few days ahead and would meet us at the hotel in Rome.

The limo was clean and roomy with mood lighting. A little background opera music would have been nice to set the tone. But the chit-chat and anticipation keep the ride entertaining. All in all quite comfortable. The driver was another story. He was a speeding maniac who drove all over the road, much of the time straddling two lanes or median.

I don't know how Chef could handle sitting in the front seat without saying a word. We were all hoping to make it alive to the airport and thankfully we did. We certainly would be happy to see Guiseppe again, our tried and true driver from last year's Italy trip.

We had some time at O'Hare before the flight so we all stopped at the Tuscany Cafe near our gate. I had a Caprese sandwich and Mike had linguine Alfredo. A highlight here was the bread. So tasty. Of course, there was wine to wash down our meal.

We boarded our United flight at 17:25 for an on-time 18:10 departure. Our non-stop flight time was 8-½ hours. Mike read pretty much all the way. The book was appropriately a bio-history on Mussolini and Italy. I watched movies--London is Falling (so-so), Alice Through the Looking Glass with Johnny Depp (colorful, but not as good as the first one), and Nice Guys (recommended and funny).

Our route took us just south of Greenland and south of Paris. We flew near Cannes and Monaco and just north of the French island of Ajaccio. Top speed that I noticed was 645 ground miles per hour. Altitude was as high as 39,008 feet with temp at -73 at that height. Thunderstorms outside of Rome delayed out flight landing by about 20 minutes. We arrived on September 16 at 10:50. It was 69F degrees out, about the same as when we left Kalamazoo.

Customs was a breeze. Next we stopped to get euros at the ATM and then hopped on our two vans to the city. Our hotel was the Palazzo Navona, an excellent location for browsing central Roma.

It was quite modern and very posh. Not quite what I expected as far as traditional Italian, but an excellent choice. The room was large and with every amenity. We had a king bed, desk, fabulous bathroom, and lots of closet space with a safe.

 

Here's our view from the room. Some of the window shades went up in the evening and we saw families gathering for dinner. Every day Italian life right before our eyes.

Continued ...

2016 ITALY 1 - Italy, Here We Come Again

Well, Chef John (formally head chef at Zazios Restaurant, currently Director of Culinary Education at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and fabulous tour guide for our 2015 trip through northern Italy) set-up another Italian excursion. This one started in Rome and headed south along the Amalfi coast. I could pass on Rome as I have visited there before, but Amalfi was calling our name. "Killarneys get over here. Now!!!"

The trip for 2016 was in September. In July the seven couples got together at John's house for a meet-and-greet and to talk about the upcoming tour. John's wife Stacey was traveling with us this time, but showed up later to this evening. I had heard nice things about her as she worked with my sister. All true. She is a delight, and John and Stacey are the cutest couple ever.

Steve and Karen from our 2015 trip were not able to make it this time. Boo hoo! We will miss them as they were great traveling buddies. But our fab friends Lynn and Sandy would travel again with us on this trip. Yay! 

So we met four new couples. We had actually met Frank and Mary Lynn previously at a Zazios chef's table when Chef John was still cooking there. They had been on John's 2013 trip and encouraged us to go soon because it was so wonderful. That's how we got inspired to take this 2015 culinary tour. (I think John said he has been leading these excursions for 10 or 11 years now.)

Next were Tom and Jean. They had already been on four(!!) of John's tours. They are real foodies and have taken numerous cooking classes a Le Cordon Bleu in France and elsewhere.

Alison and Brian both work in the food manufacturing industry. She is a quality control rep. Later we would find it quite interesting to hear her comments about food processing and quality control in the Italian way compared to her experience in the USA. They had been on two previous trips with John.

The last couple was Paul and Pat. This was their third trip with Chef. Our connection here is that he worked with our upstairs neighbor before retiring. And she is a vegetarian, so I would not stand alone in "special treatment" at the table. I'm actually a pescatarian (fish and seafood are OK). I was not going to miss out on fruits of the sea along the Amalfi coast.

Chef John called this his "Pizza Tour." We would be sampling pizza throughout the journey, which included a day in Naples. Naples is said to be the origination of that culinary delight. Pizza is one of my very favorites in life, so I was quite excited.

Thus the menu at this event was homemade pizza which Chef prepared as we got to know each other. He made about five large pans worth and each had various toppings--cheeses, meats, veggies--to appeal to every taste. While he was baking, there was wine and nibbles--olives, almonds, fruits, and other Italian-ish delights.

By the end of the evening, we were all feeling comfortable with our travel mates. We knew L&S, of course, and some of the others had already traveled together on previous trips. All in all we really looked forward to making new friends in this latest journey. I took photos to send to everyone, so we could easily remember faces.

Sorry to say I can't find pizza photos of that evening, but if I do find them, I'll add them later.

2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Let's Play Doll House

My friend Suzi was visiting from California, so I researched some unusual ways to entertain her. I had heard about the Midwest Miniatures Museum. I am not a dollhouse-er or miniatures collector, but love looking at these little wonders. Seemed like a fun way to spend the afternoon. They were closed for the season, but I was able to set up a special appointment.

So I called my sis and the three of us motored over to the museum located in a white farm house in Hickory Corners, Michigan. It has a separate driveway next to the Gilmore Auto Museum entrance (another fun place to browse, especially for car buffs).

Upon entering there was a small reception area with a gift shop. The hostess that day was Ina Whitney, president of the museum. We have a mutual friend from Ladies' Library, so we had crossed paths a few times recently. It was nice to have someone I knew as our personal tour guide.

Many of the masterpieces here are done by world class miniature artists. Here is Ina next to the Brackenwood Vale by Rik Pierce. This fantasy tree house includes over 3,000 individually placed leaves. Hiding among them are numerous woodland creatures, including a hedgehog family. 

This old farm house has numerous rooms with wonderful dollhouse displays in each one. I cannot describe what a gem each little world is, but I'll show you a few favorites.

The displays here are so diverse. This is a set of six rooms that reflect various aspects of the medical field--a pharmacy, a nursery for newborns, doctor's office, etc.

Other scenarios are just a room or simple scenario. Here is a beach scene in a Frisbee, dining room (from the collection of Francis M. Light), and a greenhouse.

Sizes range from one-inch to one-foot being the largest, down to 1/12-inch to one-foot. Here are two examples of the smallest size. The first is a little cottage in a walnut.

Next appears as though you are looking in a shop window with shelves of fine silver products. There was also a display of handmade miniature clothes for dollhouse size people.
Another display is of the Kellogg Manor house. The "original" was owned by the Kellogg family (yes, of cereal fame) and in real life is currently a local venue for teas, meetings, weddings, and other entertainment.

There were numerous period style rooms...all so elegant.

There were businesses. Here is a used car lot (something for the guys), grocery store, vintage marionette / puppet store, and a quilt shop.

 

There was a small room set up with Noah's Ark arrangements of various scale sizes.













One of my favorites was a replica of the rooming house that Vincent Van Gogh lived in. You can see his tiny bed, paintings, and vases of sunflowers in the upper left room.

At the end of the tour we browsed the small gift shop. Suzi (a redhead), found a little redheaded lady reclined on a chaise lounge. It looked so like her in appearance and in manner, that she just had to buy it (except she is not a cat lover. Bet she took those off!)

I hope I haven't given too much away here, but these examples just scratch the surface of what little jewels you will find. And the photos absolutely do NOT do the vignettes justice is is FREE, but there is a jar for donations. I left a ten-er and still felt the visit was a bargain. 

Read more about it at:
http://www.midwestminiaturesmuseum.com
http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org
http://conference.kbs.msu.edu/manor-house/visit/

An aside:
In San Francisco I worked with Mattie Still, an avid dollhouse enthusiast. She had a huge set-up and would decorate it at each holiday with appropriate tiny items. Christmas was especially beautiful. She took me to a dollhouse convention once and I was flabbergasted at the array and intricacies of all the elements available.

Her husband Bob would create custom items for her. One thing he made was an old-fashioned camera and stand from wood and other materials. It looked totally realistic with the "squeeze box" finder and cloth for over the photographers head. What fun!

Another aside:
Some time later I met Ina at a meeting of the Kalamazoo Certified Tourist Ambassadors. After the meeting I was chatting with the speaker who was from the Pure Michigan ad group. I mentioned the museum. Ina was walking by just then so I introduced them. He said that "Mysteries at the Museum" TV show may do a whole program all about Michigan and maybe Ina could come up with a mystery at the Miniatures Museum segment. What fun! Hope that happens!

2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - POPnology

In town we have the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum (info at: http://www.airzoo.org/index.php?menu_id=7). It is a multi-sensory experience for all ages. It includes displays of 50+ diverse aircraft, wartime memorabilia and history, and learning experiences.

On-going exhibits include an SR-71B Blackbird (fastest plane ever built), space history, 3-D full-motion flight simulators, the Michigan Aviator Hall of Fame, flight related murals and artwork, indoor kid amusement rides such as "hot air balloons," and much, much more. In summer they even offer bi-plane rides over the city of Kalamazoo and learning camps for kids.

POPnology was a traveling exhibit here. It explored how popular culture influenced technology. Mike is a war buff and aircraft "expert." Although these topics do not interest me so much, the POPnology exhibit was fabulous.

It demonstrated how movies, books, television, and art influence our current culture. Objects in our daily lives have been created from ideas made by futurists such Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry, Walt Disney, and even Leonardo Da Vinci.

One display presented a home from the 1950's and estimated how long it took to accomplish everyday tasks such as ironing, researching an Encyclopedia, winding a clock, and recording audio tapes. Then it gave an estimate of how much less time it takes to do the same tasks with today's "tools." I think it was something like four hours to only 40 minutes now.

It compares the concept of the wrist phone seen in Dick Tracy comics that I read as a kid to the Apple iWatch that many wear today. The display walked you though generations of walkie-talkies to brick size cell phones to smart phones and finally all the way to today's iWatch. The Dick Tracy wrist communicator looks uncannily like the iWatch of today.

Robots were another big topic. The Terminator and R2-D2 of movie fame were on display, along with other "famous" humanoid robots.

Yet another area was dedicated to robotics and all the things they can do to aid in manufacturing, medical surgery, and more.

You could also experience high-tech virtual reality glasses. The line was long for that so I didn't get a chance to try. I was a little nervous on that one anyway because I heard you can easily get motion sickness when using them.

Pixel history and technology were traced. You could see the progress from PacMan to Mario Brothers to the big, flashy billboards you see roadside today.

Then we saw an area dealing with 3-D printing. It is amazing all the intricate and useful things that can be made with these latest versions of printers. The possibilities are artistic and endless.

What I mentioned here just scratched the surface of knowledge offered in this diverse and fascinating exhibit. Displays include toys and games, transportation, communication, and inventions and ideas that shape our everyday lives. Lots of color and creativity. Did I mention interactive!? Lots of that, too.

Updated displays are often added. I understand there is now a section on driverless cars and drones, AND the world's first 3-D printed car. So things and ideas that were imagined way-back-when have actually come to fruition in the real world today. See a fusion of fantasy and future. From science fiction to scientific fact.

This exhibit is no longer on display at the Air Zoo, but in 2017 it is showing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and the Boston Museum of Science. Check it out, if you life nearby.

2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Culinary 2

The second floor of the building is the Culinary Arts part. Each of the two fully equipped teaching kitchen classrooms has the latest equipment--industrial mixers, stoves (I think it had 16 burners), walk-in fridges, huge stainless steel counters, deep fryers, utensils, and much more.

There is a separate bakery classroom, also fully equipped.

Once again, the emphasis is on sustainable food and healthy, fresh cooking. Attention is given to food allergies also. I'm allergic to an oddball item--mango--so I was glad to see that.

The program extends to community outreach. Their first project was the Healthy Choices Matter food literacy program for children in the Edison neighborhood.

The series is a fun way for kids in learn about food through hands-on activities and career exploration. Topics help increase student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward a healthy lifestyle," says KVCC's website. And as we walked down one hallway, we crossed paths with Chef John merrily conducting a tour for elementary students.

Also ... wait for it ... drum roll ... one can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Sustainable Brewing (like in beer!) here at the Kalsec Center. The program is designed to prepare students for technical and entrepreneurial careers in the brewing industry. This program is in conjunction with Western Michigan University's bachelor degree program and in collaboration with the beer industry. It is the nation's first higher ed program in sustainable brewing. Wahoo, beer lovers!

The brew room is spectacular. Picture steam punk on steroids. The state-of-the-art equipment was purchased through a German company. Students learn their "craft" from start to finish--beer history, brewing, ingredients, marketing, waste water treatment. It is a hands-on experience, including internships.

Ok, now down to the ground floor. There are food intake and storage areas, a culinary library, and a cooking demo room with stadium / theatre style seating.



Next we saw the huge restaurant-style kitchen learning area. Here students apply skills they learned upstairs. It has lots of prep tables, a pizza oven, and every imaginable kitchen gadget, pan, or dinnerware you could think of.

 

This kitchen accommodates two student run restaurants. "Havirmill'' serves lunch (soups, salads, sandwiches) and "418" (named for the building address) serves an expanded dinner fare. These facilities teach cooking and hospitality skills (management, waiting, hostessing, cashiering, clean-up, etc.) for eventual positions in various food industries.

Alas, these fooderies are not open on a full-time basis, but when class schedule allow (which is much of the school year). We weren't too disappointed because the pre-arranged tour was wonderful, but we look forward to eating at one of these restaurants in the near future.

Check hours before you go or make a reservation (recommended for dinner) at (269) 548-3200. Or check FB at https://www.facebook.com/KVculinarydining/ for info.

We ended our tour in the cafe and all got a taste of some refreshing naturally flavored waters. We had a choice of cucumber, citrus, or mint. I tried a little of each. Um, um, um good!