Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts

WHY I LOVE AND HATE -- THE CRUISE SHIP BAN IN VENICE

The most beautiful sail away in the world - Venice, Italy

I wrote this article a few years back. Now that cruise ships are being banned from the city center, I thought I would revisit those times. 

Skeptics always ask me why I love cruising so much. What makes it so special? They ask me this because I once worked on a cruise ship  and sailed out of Venice for two years. I love cruise ships because I love the ocean. But what makes a cruise ship so special? Well, my favorite thing about a cruise ship is the sail away. I know that you also sail into a port but that usually happens when you are fast asleep in your cabin encased in your soft, high thread count luxury sheets. But sail away is a time when most of the passengers gather on the deck to watch the ship leave a port, drink frou-frou drinks and wave at those unfortunates on the dock that won't be sailing with us. This week I will tell you about my favorite place to sail away from.


My number one place to leave is Venice, and not because I want to get away but because I love Venice so much. One of my memorable experiences was planning a pizza party on the crew deck. Earlier in the day I had bought cheap bottles of red wine in town, but I didn't have to bring the pizzas because onboard an Italian head chef made sure that the pizza was thin and crispy with just a smattering of sauce and cheese that is hard to duplicate in American but can be found in any town in Italy.


The sail away from Venice was set in the late afternoon for the greatest dramatic appeal. The whole city takes on a golden glow. It is a balmy summer day, with the movement of the ship creating a soft breeze on deck. The ship meanders past medieval houses and cathedrals painted in muted earth tone colors. The harbor is crowded with water taxis, gondolas, and boats moving produce and goods through the canals. Commerce moving as it has for thousands of years. While the ship meanders past all of this splendor all the casino staff are lounging on the crew deck, sipping local red wine and chewing on crispy hot, fresh pizza that has just been delivered from the kitchen.

And then we sail past St. Marks Square, if there is a more beautiful place on earth, show it to me. Thousands of tourists are gawking at the Doge's Palace and the Basilica waiting for The Moor to strike his bell. The music from the violinist playing in the square is barely discernable from the ship. The day is perfect, the chance for days like that are why I lived on ships for many years.

I know that some of you have been to Venice, some left by plane where long lines and customs awaited you. Some of you went by train and what a great way to see the countryside. But as for me, I will always cherish those sail aways from Venice.

A few years after I wrote this article, I went back and visited Venice. The Venice I found was inundated with tourists. Where once you could find quiet streets and escape the crowds, now every street was at full capacity resembling a county fair on a Saturday night. I realize that this ban is good for the people of Venice because so many cruise ships are hurting the eco-system of the lagoon. Some say the cruise ships are ugly and take away from the cultural heritage. So, we all have to ask ourselves the question, what happens when Venice quits being the Venice we love? 




Click the link below to order at Amazon. While you're there check out the reviews and enjoy your stay at the Night Hawk.

Casino Queen (Night Hawk Casino Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by Bertoia, Cara. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Click the link below to order at Barnes and Noble 

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino and is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.

Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of challenging guests, growing revenue while rooting out corruption.

In the process of rediscovering her inner strength, she learns, you have to gamble like your life depends on it. With her life on the line can she pull out a win?

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino and is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.

Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of challenging guests, growing revenue while rooting out corruption.

In the process of rediscovering her inner strength, she learns, you have to gamble like your life depends on it. With her life on the line can she pull out a win?

 

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BON APPETIST - HOW TO ENJOY EATING AND NEVER SAY DIET AGAIN



            I was reading a book of essays the other day by Lynne Tillman and I came upon this definition. 'Appetist, a well-adjusted employer of food. A person with a healthy desire to eat; a person who does not worry excessively about food intake; a person who does not diet constantly; someone who enjoys food thoroughly and in moderation.' That is me I thought, that describes me. I was so happy that finally in this vegan, gluten obsessed land of the perpetual diet culture there was a description of another way to live. I felt validated. 

            Many years ago I worked on a cruise ship and I traveled around the world. An enormous part of the appeal of joining the ship for me was the opportunity to feast on gourmet meals all over the globe. I feel that most Americans have an ambivalent relationship to food; except for special occasions, food is just something they grab and eat on the run. To say that you love to eat, that sounds almost blasphemous. People assume that if you love food, you are somewhat wanton. Other than meeting my husband Ray (an unexpected surprise), the food had definitely been one of the best parts of ship life. I couldn’t always recall all the people I dined with or what we talked about, but I did remember all the great meals. I have a simple philosophy governing my food consumption. Eat what you want but you really have to want it - and stop when you feel full. Throw in a healthy amount of exercise and you should  never be fat.

            A short while ago we rented a van and meandered around Italy stopping to sight-see and eat. Italy is the land of Slow Food an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. The movement has since expanded globally to over 100,000 members in 150 countries. Its goals of sustainable foods and promotion of local small businesses are paralleled by a political agenda directed against globalization of agricultural products.

            There is nowhere in the world that is a better example of the movement than Parma, Italy. A charming town a few hours from the French border, Parma has it all. It is big enough to have a vibrant town center, but small enough to be navigable by foot. The surrounding countryside boasts over twenty castles and spas have existed here since Roman times. But the best part in case you haven’t guessed it already is that it is the home of Prosciutto de Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. In the town center you enter shop after shop with hams hanging from the rafters and cases filled with local cheeses. A pungent odor fills the air and tempts the appetite. We enjoyed a glass of wine at one of the many cafes as we watched the stylish citizenry strut their stuff.

            A rainstorm forced us into a covered alleyway as we waited for Trattoria de Tribunale to open up. The meal was everything I had traveled to Italy for, chewy homemade pasta, sauces that had been whipped up in the kitchen not poured from a jar. Meat that had been cured in the area not shipped there from thousands of miles away and Crusty fresh bread from the baker down the street. Food that was meant to be savored not rushed, washed down by a local Chianti. Now just to show you that you can enjoy all of this without being fat, click the link below to watch my video of the people of Parma. I want you to see for yourself, a people with a low diabetes rate that still have a zest for life. The biking and the walking don't hurt the cause.  The only heavy person in the video is my husband and since our trip he has become an appetist and lost the belly.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW: PARMA THE HOME OF CASUAL STYLE
            Savor every bite you eat, search out the freshest ingredients. Become an Appetist and say NO to dieting. I will leave you with this thought from Paul Prudhomme, “You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”

                            BON APPETIST


Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino and is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.

Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of challenging guests, growing revenue while rooting out corruption.

In the process of rediscovering her inner strength, she learns, you have to gamble like your life depends on it. With her life on the line can she pull out a win?

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

About the author:
Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"She would be happy to Skype with any book club reading Cruise Quarters. Contact her at ray92262@yahoo.com.or read more blog posts at carabertoia.blogspot.com

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships
Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click the link to find at Amazon Australia
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany
Click the link to find at Amazon France
Click the link to find at Amazon Italy
Click the link to find at Amazon Spain 
Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click to find at Barnes and Noble.


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THE BEST PART OF CRUISING - SAILING AWAY FROM IT ALL


Skeptics always ask me why I love cruising so much. What makes it so special? They ask me this because I once worked on a cruise ship. I love cruise ships because I love the ocean. But what make a cruise ship so special? Well, my favorite thing about a cruise ship is the sail away. I know that you also sail into a port but that usually happens when you are fast asleep in your cabin encased in your soft high thread count luxury sheets. But sail away is a time when most of the passengers gather on the deck to watch the ship leave a port, drink frou-frou drinks and wave at those unfortunates on the dock that won't be sailing with us. This week I will tell you about my favorite place to sail away from.

My number one place to leave is Venice, and not because I want to get away but because I love Venice so much. In fact, much of the first chapter of my novel Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships is set in Venice. One of most memorable experiences was planning a pizza party on the crew deck. Earlier in the day I had bought cheap bottles of red wine in town but I didn't have to bring the pizzas because onboard an Italian head chef made sure that the pizza was thin and crispy with just a smattering of sauce and cheese that is hard to duplicate in American but can be found in any town in Italy.

The most beautiful sail away in the world - Venice, Italy

The sail away from Venice was set in the late afternoon for the greatest dramatic appeal. The whole city takes on a golden glow. It is a balmy summer day, with the movement of the ship creating a soft breeze on deck. The ship meanders past medieval houses and cathedrals painted in muted earth tone colors. The harbor is crowded with water taxis, gondolas, and boats moving produce and goods through the canals. Commerce moving as it has for thousands of years. While the ship meanders past all of this splendor all the casino staff are lounging on the crew deck, sipping local red wine and chewing on crispy hot, fresh pizza that has just been delivered from the kitchen.

And then we sail past St. Marks Square, if there is a more beautiful place on earth show it to me. Thousands of tourists are gawking at the Doge's Palace and the Basilica waiting for The Moor to strike his bell. The music from the violinist playing in the square is barely discernable from the ship. The day is perfect, the chance for days like that are why I lived on ships for many years.

I know that some of you have been to Venice, some left by plane where long lines and customs awaited you. Some of you went by train and what a great way to see the countryside. But as for me, I will always cherish those sail aways from Venice.

About the author:
Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships
Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany
Click the link to find at Amazon France
Click the link to find at Amazon Italy
Click the link to find at Amazon Spain 
Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click to find at Barnes and Noble
Ray and Cara have also produced the number one guide on walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The Desert Woman calls it inspiring. 
Click the link to find the DVD Camino de Santiago a Walkers Guide at Amazon
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