Italy

Exploring the Northern Region During the Cornacchia World Cup

(Mar-Apr 2024)

So, the main reason we were visiting the Northern region of Italy (Bologna, Modena, Lake Garda, Pordenone) was because our son, Ryan, was involved in the U19 Cornacchia Volleyball World Cup. What a wonderful trip and we packed alot of mileage into it. Overall, we generally travelled as a group (parents and the players) on a bus and enjoyed many foods, sights and volleyball games!

Trip Expense: approximately $4,462 (Cdn) / person

Broken down:

(1) Flights = $1,687 (Calgary to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Bologna)

(2) Volleyball package (including accommodations/meals) = $1,045

(3) Transport (bus) and accommodations (outside of volleyball package) = $1,030

(4) Miscellaneous = $300

(5) Meals (outside of volleyball package) = $400

Note: Ryan arrived in Italy a day and a half earlier than me. The boys and parents enjoyed a Ferrari tour in Bologna (Maranello) during that time, although it wasn’t really involving the inside of the factory. Instead, they walked through huge display rooms with histories and exhibits showcasing all the different Ferraris throughout the eras.

(Ryan going up high for a hit!)

Day 1 (Mar 24)

The flight for me was uneventful – basically a 10-hour redeye over Greenland, Scotland, England and Northern Europe before descending into Frankfurt, Germany. But, the arrival had it’s drama – we touched down for a few moments before the pilot gunned the plane with a fast acceleration and we bounced back up into the air. No reason was given, but some nerve-wracking seconds, let me tell you. We flew around for ten minutes before touching down again. I hadn’t gotten any sleep on the flight (I’ve never been able to sleep on planes), and my adrenaline was kicking in… the Frankfurt airport was huge! A major transport hub, and it took about a 45-min walk to the next departure gate. I didn’t have to wait too long before boarding the next plane (much smaller prop plane). But as I sat there before boarding, I felt quite amazed I was in Germany, being a WWII history buff and all. Over the decades I’ve read countless books on the war with Germany and I couldn’t help but realize I had just flown through the same airspace (looking down at the landscape of Frankfurt that so many WWII airmen would’ve seen) that so many Allied bombers and Axis fighters have flown and fought through. The drama that had exisited in that same space 80 years ago! And I was listening to all the German accents around me… was a bit surreal, initially. And then I was airborne again, heading further south over the mountains.

It was a short trip before we landed in Bologna, Italy. I didn’t stay long in the quaint airport – I quickly hunted down a taxi (I could’ve waited for a bus, but Ryan had texted me and said the taxi was much faster, albeit, more expensive) and then we were off down the highway toward Modena where the team was staying for the first few days. I arrived in the early afternoon just as the boys and parents were finishing up a scavenger hunt. It was a beautifully warm and sunny day (I was so glad to be out of the Canadian winter! During the week before I had left on the flight, we had a 30 cm snowstorm)… definitely shorts and t-shirt weather. Some of the boys looked tired – I certainly was too.

I checked into the same hotel everyone else was at (Hotel Principe) located near the downtown where cobblestone streets and old architecture were only blocks away. The room I was in was small, but functional. That’s the way it is in Europe, I quickly learned! Old buildings built a loooong time ago with old spacings. The bathroom, too, was small – especially small. You could barely maneuvre within it, but as long as it was functional with a warm shower, I was good. : )

Suppertime came quickly and we all ventured down into the cobblestone streets where Gelato stores were everywhere. And we feasted unapologetically – gelatos, lasagna, beers, wine, assorted appetizers. The Italians sure know how to put on a good dining experience! A wonderful meal with lots of laughs and chats amongst the parents. A nice start to our European trip. One note – earlier in the day (before I had arrived in Bologna), the team, while roaming about the streets near the hotel, mentioned they had come acrossa a fellow who owned an ambulance and was selling beer from the ambulance. Kinda like a food truck but with beer. Hilarious… and I was told the guy was from Calgary! Small world.

(In Verona – Stefan, the coach of the Canadian team, taking the picture. Ryan is beside him arching way back)

Day 2 (Mar 25)

A bit of a sore head this morning from the jetlag and the dinner drinks. And a maintenance crew outside on the street, just below my window, were drilling up a storm very early ! Ugh… too early. I rolled out of bed and had a quick shower before heading down for the hotel breakfast – so different than Canadian hotel breakfasts. A wonderful feast of pastries, eggs, bacon, fruits, cereals, fizzy water and then we had to rush to the tour bus (after checking out of our rooms) for a morning tour of a famous parmesan cheese factory (4 Madonne Caseificio Dell Emilia). Was a great experience and we learned alot about the cheese process: it was founded in 1967 and they currently produce about 140,000 wheels of chees each year (a wheel of cheese being about 75-88 pounds with a diameter of 16-18 inches and a height of 8-10 inches). At the end of the tour, lots of servings by the staff – wine and, of course, cheese, with lots of sliced meats. I was beginning to learn that the Italians seem to enjoy having wine, cheese and sliced meats with most of their meals!

Afterward it was back on the bus for the trip to Verona located approximately an hour and twenty minuts away. So much to see here during our afternoon pitstop – roaming around the Old Town cobblestone streets and central squares, markets, gelatos on every corner (we were investing heavily in gelatos! Yum), an old colesuum, a castle, and lots of people-watching. Crowds were everywhere – was fun watching the Italians mingle about. They certainly love purses and big glasses ! They’re a colorful people, full of expressions with a confident presence.

Next, we were off to Lake Garda another hour or two away, northward. Aside from a few catnaps, we took in the scenery – lots of narrow roads and mountainous terrain as the lake was surrounded by mountains. Beautiful here but the air was crisp with the temperature around 12-16 degrees Celsius. We checked into our new hotel at 5:30pm (Rosa Beach Hotel) and the group headed out to what would be one of our best dinner experiences at the Agri turismo La Dase restaurant (I think that was the name). It was crazy fun – multi-course meals, many shots of liquor (the staff were so fun ! They loved entertaining us with the food and drinks), all within a stone dome-cavern-type restaurant nestled within the narrow catacombs of the cobblestone streets. At the end of the evening we were trying to leave, but the staff kept on drawing us back in with free shooters and free bottles of wine… literally, free full bottles of wine. I don’t remember how many bottles they gave us, but I recall we needed a box to bring home the excess. We finally did leave after many thank-yous – a 30-min walk along the lake back to our hotel. What a night…

(Some of our boys going for a chilly dip in Lake Garda in front of our hotel. Ryan far right, jumping in)

Day 3 (Mar 26)

Another wonderful breakfast at the hotel. They really go all out with the meals, I must say. Afterward, I retreated back to my hotel room for more sleep – I needed a day of rest to get caught up on the past days that had become a whirlwind of action. Lots of reading-in-bed and just some light walks in the nearby area to get some fresh air. It was a bit chilly up here in Lake Garda – luckily I did bring some warmer clothes. In the afternoon I tended to some work emails and then watched the Brad Pitt movie “Fury”. Entertaining ! When evening came, we all met downstairs and decided to just eat at the hotel restaurant. Nothing too fancy tonight – communal foods, appetizers, etc. I was in bed early – around 10:30pm. Zzzzzzz….

(Sitting inside the restaurant in Lake Garda where we received all the free shooters and wine during the night!)

Day 4 (Mar 27)

Early to rise today! We had a 7am breakfast because we were heading to the Garda Lake ferry for a day cruise, visiting many neighboring lake towns and sites. We all met at the ferry around 8am (just a 30min walk along the lake) before boarding the ship for the 9-5pm trip. The weather was hurrendous that day – downpours and overcast skies. And windy ! Nothing but choppy waters on the lake and I was wondering if the cruise was going to get cancelled. But the boat left the dock on time and we were all heading out into the waves, bearing in mind that Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy (370 square kms). Luckily, the boat was enclosed with many seats inside – was comfortable, but it was packed ! (maybe around 150-200 people, full capacity) Every seat taken with a few people having to stand. At times a few of the boys would head upstairs into the open air and head toward the front of the boat where the waves and rain got them soaked… all in good fun. Over the course of the day we’d land at two different towns where we disembarked and tramped about the old cobblestone streets. Trinkets, gelato’s and the many touristy gifts/foods awaited. It was a fun jaunt except for the rain which didn’t let up all day. One interesting note – at one of our port-o-calls, we were heading into a tour of an old castle where you had to pay to get in. A grumpy old guy (employee) at the entrance wouldn’t allow our son, Ryan, and his friend Mason in because they were half-way through some gelato’s. Apparently you couldn’t enter with food… but in addition, because Mason wasn’t 18, he wasn’t allowed to enter on his own either (Ryan was 18, but decided to wait outside the entrance with Mason)… although if they had joined us as a group, then Mason would be allowed to enter (just not as an “individual”, under-age). It was a very finicky rule, but, nonetheless, the old guy was just extremely grumpy, bordering on delusional anger. He was told to calm down by someone (I forget who), and he did cool off a bit… before long, Mason and Ryan finished their food and then paid to quickly join up with the rest of us (as a group) and we all proceeded along the tour.

(Lake Garda)

By the late afternoon, we got back onto the boat and headed home. After docking, we got our land legs under us and made our way back to the hotel. A full day of socializing, sailing and walking! And the sun began peaking through the clouds! (it had been cloudy the past few days) But it was still a bit chilly – I needed a fleece jacket, but some of the boys decided to throw their swimming trunks on for a jump into Lake Garda off the wooden dock in front of our hotel. Brrrr… cold water but they survived amongst the laughs and banter. That night we took a few van taxis to a new restaurant where we feasted on much contenelli, spaghetti, beer and wine. You seriously could not escape a dinner without some drinks – The Italians take great pride in providing a wonderful dinner experience and we certainly obliged!

(At the entrance to a castle in Lake Garda on a very rainy day – Mason being refused entry and Ryan hanging out with him until he was allowed in)

Day 5 (Mar 28)

After another enjoyable breakfast (so much food… I must’ve gained 10 lbs on this trip by this point) it was time to leave Garda Lake. Onto a new destination! We packed up the bus that morning but we had to do it 1/2 kilometer away from the hotel because the roads were so narrow in front of the hotel that the bus driver wasn’t inclined to drive to the front of the hotel to experience all the required meneuvrings. We were like gypsies as we walked the 1/2 kilometer, hauling much of our luggage along with us (fortunately, some of the luggage was taken in a hotel van). But soon enough, we got settled into our seats once again and began rolling eastward down the highway toward Pordenone where the World Cup would be held and where we’d end up staying for the remainder of our trip. It was about a two-and-a-half hour road trip with a few pitstops for washroom and food breaks… and some family members had bought a karaoke mic so we had lots of fun singing karaoke in the bus (you could adjust the sound output to higher pitches – chipmunk pitches – was hilarious hearing some of the group singing at that pitch!)

We arrived at the Convention Center in Pordenone around lunch time in the pouring rain (the recent bad weather was really hitting us hard at this point. Somewhat depressing). The Convention Center was the World Cup “hub” – where all meals would be issued and served for all athletes, parents and staff, not to mention all the merch and info booths being located here. And it’s where the huge “parade of athletes/nations” would begin the following day. We quickly received our meal tickets and proceeded through the lineups to receive the lunch food. It wasn’t the healthiest fare, but it would fill the gullet. Later on our two “shadow guides” arrived and introduced themselves. Each team would have two such guides. – they were local Italian students who would be handling each team’s busy transport/game/location schedules over subsequent days. They’d make sure we were ready at the hotel for bus-boarding, directing us to the right venues, etc.

It had already been a busy day so I was relieved when we all decided to head back to the bus to check-in at the hotel located 10 minutes away in the old, cobblestone area of Pordenone. Great location! I couldn’t wait to get into my hotel room and sleep… and sleep I did. But before my head hit the pillow, the electrical power to the room was a bit tricky – you needed to insert your hotel fob card into a narrow, slim slot in the wall in order for the electrical circuit to activate. Took me a few minutes to figure that one out as the power kept on going off (without my card inserted into the wall).

(Our team – the boys at the Ferrari factory)

That night we were all bused to an exhibition practice game for our boys who would be playing against a local Italian team from Pordenone. And getting to the venue was wild – some crazy navigating for the bus driver through narrow streets and alleyways – tight squeezes with parked cars along the way, too! After arriving, the boys warmed up and played 4 games. We (Eagles) won 1 and lost 3… they were a good team (volleyball is to Italy what hockey is to Canada) and we were just very rusty after all the travelling in recent days with no practices. It was a good “heads up” for the boys. Afterward, we looked around for a place to eat but everything was closed that late… we hadn’t had supper yet, so I found a sandwich joint near our hotel. That would suffice before another relaxing sleep. We’d need it because the World Cup was starting the next day – a busy few days coming up!

Day 6 (Mar 29)

The start of the World Cup ! Lots of excitement in the air after waking up around 7am and enjoying breakfast in the hotel… everybody was pumped. And the breakfast was wonderful – lots of variety! Officially the World Cup would begin after today’s parade of athletes/nations (starting around mid-afternoon). But our coach wanted to get another exhibition game in before then, so we headed out to another gymnasium for a match against a British team at 10:30am. We played a few games and won the majority of them. We were working out the kinks and none too soon.

(Parade time! Parade of athletes with our boys in blue in the mix)

After lunch we assembled in the parking lot at the Convention Center – it was packed full of athletes ! A few thousand it seemed. Each team had a flag-bearer for their nation’s flag. Was mesmerizing seeing so many teams from all over the globe. And then it began – the parade pushed off with the parents walking along the sidewalks amongst the crowds lining the streets (athletes on the road). It stretched forever, it seemed, each team engaged in their own chants and cheers. The Italians really take volleyball seriously here, I must say. From the convention center they snaked along the roads and into the cobblestone streets of the Old Padenone until they ended up in a huge plaza center only a few blocks from our hotel… convenient! When all the teams had finally packed themselves into at the plaza, the speeches began, via loudspeakers. And when the talking was over (maybe 40 minutes later), confetti bombers were passed out to the athletes and on the count of three, all were set off simultanously into the air – the place was covered in multi-colored confetti ! And then the music kicked in for about an hour – very festive with much dancing. Such a fun experience for everyone… but our bellies were growling – time to break free from it all (it was winding down anyway by evening) and head out for dinner ! We walked to a nearby restaurant and gorged ourselves on pizza (and drinks, of course!). It was a large day so a few of us, including me, decided to pack it in early. I was in bed by 8:30pm.

Day 7 (Mar 30)

Today was our boys’ first game of the World Cup and it would be against Belgium. A few of us decided to walk to the venue as it was only about a 30-minute jaunt. Unfortunately, we learned that a few of the guys (including Ryan) ended up getting sick. Ryan couldn’t play in the games and then throughout the day, another player (Max) also got sick. And because a few players weren’t able to fly to Italy for the trip, our team was down to just six active players that day. Meaning, no subs. They would lose against Belgium and then, again, against Italy later on in the day. The boys were just getting increasingly exhausted without subs and after so much travelling during the previous week.

(After the parade ended, all the athletes in the town central square. Our boys are near center and toward the right)

Everyone was feeling dejected… but the boys had given it their all, all things considered. Afterward, I roamed about the cobblestone streets back near the hotel, grabbing a gelato, chocolate bar and some fruits in the process. Then we jumped on the bus and headed to the convention center for dinner. Again, the meal wasn’t extravagent, but it filled the gullet. We returned to the hotel where a few of us decided to enjoy some wine and beer in the hotel lobby until about midnight when we called it a night.

Day 8 (Mar 31)

Today the time zone in Italy went ahead one hour (it went ahead back in Calgary weeks ago… I’m losing all perspective on time!) so we lost some time, but we had to shake it off because the boys’ next game was at 11:30am that morning. Unfortunately, it was raining again and the boys were, once again, feeling stretched on the court with minimal subs. They lost to the Roma Italian team despite another great effort with the few players they had. Some of the boys were experiencing sore throats, although Ryan was feeling much better and ended up playing today. But Max ended up going to the hospital for the flubug and migraines. In addition, Laura (one of the mom’s of another player, Noah) ended up in the hospital, too, with a bladder infection.

As we left the volleyball facility, the bus had to navigate more narrow streets. I must say, these bus drivers were amazing drivers! We headed over to the Convention Center for lunch and then some drama broke out. We were in the lineup for the pizza (the lineups were huge), and a group of teenage boys from a Serbian team began cutting the line quite abrasively and were just plain rude all-round. They were elbowing people to get through the lineup and just being hooligans, really. If they had kept it up, it would’ve sparked some kind of brawl, I swear. It was close, but then they moved on and everyone cooled off.

(Our boys after playing Italy)

After lunch we jumped back onto the bus and headed back to the hotel where we all rested in our rooms for a few hours before the next game at 5pm against Slovenia. And when the time came, despite the exhaustion, the boys pulled off a win (nail-biter) ! This was their last game of the World Cup so it was nice to end it on a good note. Back to the hotel we went and I decided to take a night off from the group dinners and went out on the town on my own, just roaming and taking it all in (including more yummy gelato’s). Lots of people-watching… the Italians are so staylish – they love their leather !

Our boys ended up going to a volleyball party at the convention center that night then they ventured off toward a British Pub near our hotel. As mentioned, every team had two Italian guides throughout the tournament who kept the teams on schedule with things. The two Italian teenage girls assigned to our team brought their friends out for the boys to meet and hang out with during the night. Lots of fun for them all !

Day 9 (Apr 1)

Today was dedicated to some R&R after a jam-packed week – a day to do whatever you wished. The only item on the schedule was the gold medal game at 4pm between Italy (Provodo) and Poland. What a game and crowd ! The venue was packed (thousands in attendance) ! Very exciting game with Poland winning the match. Then it was off to our final group dinner at a restaurant where the pizzas hit the tables fast and furious. Another delicious meal. Many of us left around 11pm and walked back to the hotel while a few others stayed on and enjoyed a few more drinks. Our last night in Italy had come to an end.

(I believe this was our boys having a practice warm-up round with the team from Britain before the start of the World Cup)

Day 10 (Apr 2)

An early wake-up today! We all assembled for breakfast at 7am before grabbing our luggage and checking out. We were on the bus by 7:30am and heading to the Venice airport about an hour away. The skies got brighter – it was our first beautiful, sunny day since our arrival at Lake Garda back on Day 2. Not that it had rained the whole time, but it was continuously cloudy and overcast.

We were all cat-napping on the bus – an exhausted crew! But before long, the airport loomed up ahead of us. Disembarking, we made our way into the airport and cleared security. We had an hour to kill so I browsed about the stores hoping to find some nice gifts for Jenna and Catharine. Bingo ! I came across a nice purse (lots of purse stores in Italy, overall!) for Catharine while nabbing some chocolates for Jenna. I grabbed a seat near a window wall at our gate and could see Venice off in the distance. I was hoping to make it into the city during this trip but, in the end, just couldn’t make it work. Next time!

And then we boarded the plane and were off into the skies, heading north to Frankfurt before the long jaunt west. Italy was a wonderful place! The narrow cobblestone streets, a fashionable culture, beautiful landscape, crazy good dinner events, the Italians who were full of expressions and who loved their wine and cigarettes, and so much history around every corner. We’ll have to come back here again, some day.