The Final Day of Rome

Experience 49. Coins in the Trevi. Rome. 26 June.

 

Supposedly tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain means that you will return to Rome. As we hadn't done this yet and the Trevi was only five minutes from our hotel we headed there after breaky to do just that. To our surprise there were less people there this time than on our previous visits. We were able to make our way to the edge of the fountain without having to shove our way there. Each of us took a turn tossing our coins while the other one took the photo. John tossed a Swiss franc and I tossed a hong kong dollar. Not sure if that means we will go back to Rome or we will go to Switzerland and Hong Kong respectively. Either way the coins weren't any use to us now any way.

 

Experience 50. Last Lap. Rome.

Aside from throwing a few coins in the fountain, see above. There was nothing planned on our last day in Rome. We decided to d some walking and take in a bot more of the city. From the Trevi we walked up to the piazza of the republic and wandered down to the Tiber to have a last look. We went to the Victor Emmanualle monument and had a look at the war museum. It was a modest affair, probably the most remarkable exhibit being related to an injury that Garibaldi suffered on the field in some battle, probably against the Austrians. The exhibit included his boot with a bullet hole in it (yes folks he coped it in the foot) a blanket which was used to carry him from the field...it had been embroiled with words to that effect. A pistol of the type that inflicted the wound, the field sugeons tools used to treat the wound, left over bandage from his dressing and finally even a wooden model of his foot with a hole in it!

Deeply impressed, we moved on.

We went to a piazza that was hosting a market and after that, final gelato of our Italian campaign...owe the trials! Needless to say a siesta and a few drinks before dinner. Aside from Garibaldi, not a day of great events to be sure but a satisfying finale none the less.

Special mention

The traffic has had been mentioned once or twice on our tour. I wasn't sure why the Romans had markings on the road up until the very last day of our tour. Certainly no one seemed to care much about lane markings, pedestrian crossings, stop signs or anything else for that matter. Then I realized that a double white line down the middle of the road was a vespa/bike lane. You line up the tyre with the black bit in the middle and sort of use the white bits either side as personal space. As for the rest of what goes on, well if you have ever played Mario cart, you get the idea.

 

Vatican City

Experience 46. Michelangelo Sistine Chapel. Vatican City. 25 June.

 

Our tour of the Vatican was an early start, bit like being back on the bus trip. We had a 25 minute walk to where our tour started, which was about 500 yards from the Vatican itself. We waited there for a while until a bus showed up. For some reason, beknown only to the tour company, they put us on a bus for the last stretch, then unloaded us again....most odd...we could have met them there it wouldn't have been a problem.

There isn't a great deal to the Vatican, space wise, but of course there is a great deal of quality. Both Chez and I were very keen to see the Sistine chapel. We travelled through a museum containing statues and tapestries and early examples of cartography to get there.

Our guide said that we were lucky, there weren't many people in the chapel when we arrived. There was no talking and we had about 20 minutes to suit our selves. The roof was smaller than I expected, not having done my homework, I was expecting a dome of some sorts. Didn't matter, the depictions were outstanding. The front wall depicting judgement day was probably the most interesting part for me. What an incredible work it was. You have to say Michelangelo had a good eye for drama.

We ran into a couple of the young ladies from our Italian bus tour after we had finished in the Vatican. One of them had been to the Chapel when it was being cleaned some years before. At that time, so few people were going she said you could lie on the floor and look up at the ceiling and stay as long as you liked. Well our guide might have said there weren't many people in the chapel on this day but if you happened to lie on the floor you would have been trampled...before the "shhhh" police dragged you away.

Experience 47. St Peters Basillica. Vatican City. 25 June.

Well as expected St Peters Basillica was pretty amazing. Surprisingly we were allowed to take photos there too which was different to any of the other churches we had been to in Italy. The interior was decorated in mosaics some of which looked more like paintings. We wondered around with the rest of the crowds, passing a couple of glass coffins containing the preserved bodies of dead popes. That was a bit weird.

The owners seem to be a bit fixated on the size of the basillica, not only is the dome really big, but the floor marks the size of other significant cathedrals around the world, runner up being St Paul's in London....na na, my cathedral is bigger than your cathedral.

Experience 48. Siesta

I think I have already mentioned somewhere along the line that all the smart people in this country siesta in the mid afternoon. I can see why too at this time of year because it is so stiflingly hot. In one of the places we ate dinner, the waiter insisted the weather was unseasonably hot...more like usual July he said, even so, it stood to reason that the only sillies out and about in the hottest part of a Rome afternoon are the tourists and the locals making a buck out of them.

Now I have no love of the protestant work ethic personally and don't mind admitting to the occasional siesta myself on weekends (& sometimes at my desk....I am a public servant after all). So now that we are off the bus tour, siesta time has become a part of our daily practice, if only for our few remaining days in Rome.

What joy to get out of the heat, take a cool drink, maybe a quick shower...if you could be bothered...and an hour or so snoozing away the heat of the day. Once up and about, quite revived, one tends to notice all the bedraggled tourists who have been through the Roman ruins or steamed themselves in the Pantheon all afternoon....poor sods.

Roman Holiday

Experience 43. Spanish Steps. Rome. 24 June.

 

Our hotel was in a really good proximity to a number of the major attractions in Rome. Go five minutes that way and there was the Pantheon, go 5 in the opposite direction and there was the Trevi fountain, go five more minutes that way and you had come to the Spanish steps. Now I know they were there because the map said they were. The main problem was that it was not easy to see them on account of all the tourists.

To my surprise they are about the only thing in Rome considered to be worth something that is not a Roman ruin or designed by Michelangelo....alright that is a bit of an exaggeration, he didn't design the Trevi either.

The steps were designed by an Italian though (not a Spaniard). I think the steps lead to the one time Spanish embassy to the Holy See, though not sure where that actually might have been, because at top of the steps seemed to be another....yes, you guessed it, a church! There are a lot of these in Rome.

It was already turning into another really hot day and the crowds started to mingle in the limited areas of shade, revealing the stairs for the first time on that particular day. A few hasty shots and we were on our way.

Experience 44. Gregory & Audrey. Rome. 24 June.

The top five gelaterias in Rome, according to Lonely Planet guide, included one that was seen in the movie Roman Holiday starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. This wasn't too far from our hotel so we went searching through the cobbled streets for our daily gelati fix at Giolitti Gelateria. So many people eat gelati here and there are so many gelaterias some good some not so good. This one definitely was good, probably even better than the one we had in San Gimignano which claimed world champion status. John stuck to his usual Pistachio but I tried Amarena, a sour Cherry with cream flavour. Very nice. Pope John Paul II also had Marron glacé delivered to him from this gelateria. Not sure what flavor that is. Might have to try it later and see if I can figure it out.

Experience 45. European cup football on the roof. Rome. 24 June.

The Italy v England elimation game was on tonight. It didn't start until 8:45pm local time which I imagine was something to do with the heat, but not sure about that....I haven't been tracking the weather in Poland.

After dinner we made our way to the bar of our hotel for a few drinks and watch the game with the rest of the crowd. Whilst Chez and I were going to be supporting the Azzuri, I imagine most of the guests that would be interested would be ponies so we would be out numbered considerably.

We got to the bar and the game was on but there were only two other people there. The game had already been going 10 minutes so I was a bit surprised. We got a drink and asked the couple that were settled in if they minded company. We soon established that they were Amercians and weren't all that fussed about round ball. So where were all the pommies? Maybe they knew their chances of success were pretty slim and decided to do something else.

As it was we didn't watch much of the game and although it ended 0-0 after normal and extra time the Italians looked in control most of the time. We chatted with the Americans who were flying back to Florida the next morning after cruising the Mediteranean for the last 12 days.

Italy won the penalty shoot out and the cars horns were sounding long into the night.

Fountains, temples & ruins

Experience 40. Trevi Mania. Rome. 23 June.

 

After our final farewells to a few of our group and our tour director still lingering in the hotel reception it was time to transfer to another hotel that would be our home for the next four nights. We had already decided that taxi was our best option as it was a bit of a distance and dragging our 20kg plus bags plus over the ancient pavement and cobbles of Rome seemed a bit tricky. We arrived at our hotel, Albergo Cesari, which was incidentally in a lovely cobblestone street halfway between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. To fill in some time until our room was ready we left our bags with the concierge and strolled up to see the famous Trevi Fountain. It truly is as magnificent as you imagine, the only problem being the hundreds of tourists. Holding on to our bags, wary of pickpockets, we lingered for a while, took some photos, bumped into some people from our tour then decided we would come back again in the evening thinking there may be less people. Well, it must have been 10pm when we returned and to our surprise there was probably twice as many tourists at the Trevi. It was Trevi Mania alright, would hate to be there in July, the real peak of the tourist season.

Experience 41. Are we in Greece or Italy? Rome. 23 June.

Obviously we are in Italy but every time we walk past or visit the Pantheon, I always manage to call it the Parthenon. Maybe not as awesome as the Parthenon but still pretty impressive. It sits at one end of a piazza, not on top of a hill like the Parthenon. It has columns at the front with a domed building at the back. When you are inside and you look up at the ceiling there is a big circular hole in the middle of the dome. The sun shines through and creates a sun dial effect through the room. Quite amazing. According to my Lonely Planet guide it is a great place to visit in a summer rain shower. No chance of that today, still mid 30's here and not a cloud in site - CL

As a matter of interest it is close to the oldest roman building that is still functional, the current version being built around 150AD. That is fair craftsmanship by any measure...there is also a very nice fountain out the front, oh yes and it is usually on our way home from eating dinner - JL

Experience 42. Colosseum.

We decided on a guided tour of the Colosseum and the roman ruins. The timing was bad as the tour was scheduled to start at 2:00pm, which was the time any sensible roman was heading for siesta. The heat was pretty intense but what do you do when you are on a timetable. There were plenty on our tour and many others groups. It is fair to say the place was packed. Probably more people in the Colosseum than would have turned out for Rome gladiators v Pompeii gladitators firsts and reserves.

The Colosseum was pretty impressive, the emperor would have had a good view and even the women up in the bleaches would have been able to see the blood trickle without difficulty. I mention this last point in passings as this is the only part of the Colosseum where women were allowed to spectate...who would have thought the American movies would have got this wrong?

It would have been interesting to be able to explore the under ground parts of the structure, where the gladiators prepared and the animals were housed. When the arena included the wooden floor and sand covering, the bowels would have been dark, hot and claustrophobic....bit like the old change rooms at Endeavour field I imagine.

The ruins of the senate and what have you were ok, but there was no shade anywhere and the tour group enthusiasm was waning rapidly. It didn't help that our guide was an old fella who was very hard to understand...or hear through the squawk box that is all the fashion now when taking a tour. An American gent on our tour was constantly interrupting the flow of non sensical ramblings by the guide to get him to speak more clearly, speak more slowly, stop the horrid feedback that was blowing out our ear drums or some other issue. It was good of him, but made no actually difference to the outcome...we still couldn't understand the old man who was getting more and more flustered with each interruption.

When the tour finished we handed back our squawk boxes and headed down town for a well deserved gelati.

Roma Roma Roma!

Experience 37. Arrival in Rome. 22 June.

 

After our day of travel we finally arrived in Rome, the final destination of our tour. We picked up a tour guide, named Fedora, as we entered the ancient city. We then spent the next hour or so driving around Rome in the comfort of our air conditioned coach while Fedora gave us a commentary of the notable features we passed. The first feature we passed through was a traffic jam, as of all days, today there was a strike of the public transport. No buses or trains so more more and more cars. As if driving in Rome isn't chaos enough. Not sure why they have lines on the roads or traffic lights because it is just raffertys rules here, glad I'm not driving. As said many times before though nothing phases our drive

We passed the old residency of popes, pre Vatican, the ruin which was the track where the Ben Hur chariot race supposedly occurred, took in the Victor Emmanuel statue and tomb of the unknown soldier from WW1. We finally arrived at the Garibaldi monument that over looked the city and stopped for a photo opp. Not only were the cities views impressive, it was a good chance to stretch the legs after a long day one coach. Somehow John ended up official photographer taking numerous photos of different couples with the city as a backdrop.

Our bus then headed through the roman ruins towards the colosseum and around to our hotel. A good start to help get our bearings...well a little.

Experience 38. Farewell Dinner Extravaganza. 22 June

The tour officially ended after breakfast tomorrow but there was no denying the tour was ending on this night, with a tasty many course dinner at a local restaurant, a couple of blocks from our hotel. We sat with a few regular pals and a few others we didn't mingle with quite so often and also the tour guide, Aldo. We had a pretty good meal, a laugh, took a few photo's...Chez was taking pictures at different tables and whilst trying to get one group to react a bit for a happy snap, she managed to throw wine over this nice fella from WA who incidentally just happened to be the owner of the Feral brewery that we visited during C2H3's trip to Perth a few years back. I don't know if he was laughing all that much but everyone else was.

Chez and I were pretty well the last to leave the restaurant. As others departed their unfinished wine bottles were dropped at our table...not sure what they were tryng to say there. We went for a nice stroll to finish the evening and were looking forward to exploring Roma on the morrow.

Experience 39. Italiano Espresso. 22 June.

We danced around it for almost the entire tour...espresso. At each toilet stop on the bus trip, after each meal....it was "due cappucinii per favore". But tonight after dinner it was time to take the plunge and try an espresso. Not a lot to them really, a small cup, bit of crema, add a bit of sugar...drink it two sips. It was good, glad we did it, became our regular after dinner each night.

The Amalfi Coast

Experience 34. Swimming Amalfi Style. Positano. 21 June.

Today we jumped onto our private charter boat for some further exploring of the towns of Amalfi and Positano. Both of these towns clung to steep hillsides down to the sea. Buildings all painted as per the color restrictions of pinks and yellows. Enough time on Amalfi to browse a few shops, climb the steps to the local church and stroll the cobbles for a quick cappucino.

Next stop, Positano, where our mission for today of swimming in the Mediterranean was to become a reality. With no more than 2 hours at our disposal to have lunch, swim and finish with a gelato we were off.

Before we new it an hour had passed and all we had managed was a panini lunch and a drink. With one hour left we headed to the beach. Now the beaches here are very different to what we know as beaches back home. You have two choices, either free swimming in designated areas which seem to be strewn with litter or, paid swimming also in designated areas but with beach lounge chairs with umbrellas and no litter. Oh, and the other thing, neither option has sand on the shoreline, instead there are pebbles. As costly as it was, we wanted our beach experience to be quintessentially Amalfi as well as not totally frying in the heat of the mid day sun, so we paid our 25 euro and headed for our beach chair.

After dumping our gear we headed for the water wearing our sandals as we figured the pebbles would give us blisters on the bottom of our feet. At the waters edge off came the sandals and we staggered over the rocks, enduring the excruciating pain as our feet sank into the pebbles. Finally, our ultimate reward of being totally immersed in the crystal clear blue waters of the Meditteranean. It was truly something to remember and very refreshing in the 37 degree heat. Bellisimo!

Experience 35. Limoncello Tasting. Maiori. 21 June.

All the different regions in Italy have their specialties. The Amalfi Coast's specialty is their lemon liqueur, Limoncello. This is not surprising when you see lemons growing in abundance wherever you look in the area. The steep hillsides are terraced and filled with lemons growing on trellises. The hotel where we have been staying here has an arboured walkway with lemons growing in this way. It is quite amazing to see.

Anyway, back to the Limoncello. Not only did we go to a local restaurant for some tasting of this knock your socks off local liqueur we were also given a bit of a demonstration on how to make Limoncello. If only we could buy 95 percent proof pure alcohol in Australia, we could make our own. The only ingredients needed were lemon rind, alcohol, sugar and water. Following the Limoncello we also tasted Fragolini (strawberry liqueur) and Melon Creme (creamy rockmelon liqueur). All very tasty, then we were all a bit tipsy before dinner!

Experience 36. Something different about our hotel. Maiori. 21 June.

Our hotel in Maiori was unique on our tour in that it had a swimming pool. The pool closed at 6:00pm but that was of no concern to Chez and I. The first night we arrived at the hotel after 6 and the second night we returned from touring after 6, but on each night we had a refreshing dip in the pool. It was large with a jacuzzi at one end and a high diving platform at the other. Some of the members of our tour group had asked for towels at reception on the 2nd night of our stay only to be told the pool was closed, at that very time, oblivious, Chez and I were enjoying the cool waters.

The other unique part of our stay at this hotel as the final night dinner provided by the tour company. This was the dinner of exclusively local cuisine which we enjoyed on the hotel terrace. The most notable element was the main of fried pizza, cooked in large vats the dough puffed up like a balloon, subsiding to a flat shape once it cooled. The toppings, added after, were basic with the base being the star of the show, crisp and delicious.

Blue Grottos of Capri

Experience 32. On top of a sponge cake. Capri. 20 June.

Another hot and very hazy day but today we spent most of it on the water as we cruised from Maiori to Amalfi, changed boats then cruised from Amalfi via Positano to The Isle of Capri. We alighted from the ferry at the bottom layer of sponge known as Marina Grande. A crazy bus trip aboard our little bus up the zig zag streets passing the filling of the sponge known as Capri Town to the top layer of sponge known as Ana Capri. With only an hour to spare after our nondescript guided tour of Ana Capri we decided to aim for the cherry on the cake and catch the chair lift to the top. A fifteen minute ride up with amazing views of the Island and the Med Sea we were enjoying 360degree panoramic views. We then journeyed down the chairlift again

Experience 33. Water, water everywhere and not a place to swim!

After lunch we bused back to the harbor for a cruise around the island of Capri. Let me say that is was very hot again by this time of day and we were looking forward to getting out on the water and cruising, in the hope that it might be a bit cooler.

A good size group got on the boat that probably held around one hundred. We headed off to the sounds of a very upbeat commentary provided by someone on the top deck. The boat backed right into large limestone caves on the south side of the island. This seemed a pretty impressive feat in itself to me. In the caves themselves we're stalagmites and stalactites. The water was iridescent blue, clear and cool. In one of the caves we saw people getting off smaller boats and snorkeling from one opening to another...it looked fantastic.....but we didn't have that option. Actually it was a bit like torture! We were no better off in the boat regards the heat than we had been on land and here we were in this beautiful setting for swimming and it was not an option. We Aussies were appalled!

They showed us villas owned by famous people, the entrance to the famous blue grotto, wild goats free ranging on the steep slopes of the islands foreshore. All very interesting but I would have gladly traded it for a dip in the Mediterranean on a day like this.

 

Maiori via Pompeii

Experience 30 The city under the ashes. Pompeii. 19 June.

Leaving Spoleto, we headed south and west heading for Naples and the Amalffi coast. With any luck we will get a bit of relief from the heat as we move away from the centre of the country. On the way we are going to stop at Pompeii for a guided tour.

Arriving at Pompeii and it seemed that a few other people had the same idea as us. There were bus loads and this isn't the peak of the season either! Our guide said that in an 8 month period 4 million people visited Pompeii each year. Now Maths has never been my strong point but by rough calculation I figured that was about 500,000 a month, 125,000 a week and therefore 16,000 a day. Well by my reckoning we all turned up at the same time today!

It was still fascinating...though you did have to wait a bit to see the main attractions. Thankfully we had a lively guide who kept us entertained at points where we had to wait. It was still really hot and our guide carried a white umbrella, this served two purposes, one it kept our guide in the shade and two we could follow his umbrella In the crowd. Now the point he didn't mention was that all the guides carried white umbrellas so the second part of this didn't work all that well....but we managed just the same.

The ruins themselves, what can you say? The roman baths, the gladiator training area, the amphitheater, the brothel, the rutted roads, the piazza, the casts made from buried remains....eerie in their detail, all in the shadow of Mt Vesuvius.

I could have stayed a lot longer, but as with most of this tour it felt like we had been given a taste and off we went again.

Experience 31 Bus ride on the Amalffi coast. 19 June.

Well it's not the coast as we know it at home but it was certainly impressive when we got our first glimpse of the Amalfi Coast. The views with the meditteranean sea on our left and the steep rugged terrain on our right was not the only breathtaking experience we were about to encounter. We travelled about 40k's of the coastline which consisted of over 350 bends, apparently there are over 900 bends on the entire Amalfi coast. In a 12 meter long coach on narrow winding roads with a long sheer drop to the sea on our left and many many oncoming vehicles this experience was truly breathtaking. Thankfully not too many coaches are allowed on this road and nobody drives a four wheel drive in Italy because at times there was only millimeters between our coach and the oncoming vehicle. One driver in a very small car still tried to go between us and the barrier wall nearly wedging themselves in and getting completely stuck. As you can imagine this undoubtedly created a bit of a traffic holdup and a long line of traffic in both directions. We also encountered a couple of tight hairpin bends through little villages with stuccoed buildings on both sides, the corners of which had been previously shaved off by passing buses and trucks no doubt. None of this was too tricky for our awesome bus driver, Marucio. As we rounded our last bend to our destination of Maiori a cheer of "Bravi, Bravi, Bravi" was raised and a round of applause for Marucio, our driver.

 

Scorching Umbria

Experience 28. St Francis Basillica. Assissi. 18 June.

We may have mentioned that it has been very hot the last few days. Well today was no exception with temps once again in the high 30's we ventured off to see perched on another hilltop, the medieval city of Assissi. We scrambled up the cobble streets to be greeted by a Canadian Francescan Monk, Friar Edward who was in Assissi to do English speaking tours of the Basillica for 6 weeks. Friar Edward escorted us into the refreshingly cool interior of St Francis Basillica. Another amazingly beautiful interior with domed ceilings. This time the walls and ceilings were decorated with painted frescoes depicting stories of St Francis of Assissi. Differing to the Basillica in Venice which took hundreds of years to complete this one only took two years. Very impressive. We descended underground to the lower church of the Basillica where we recited a prayer and received a blessing from Friar Edward as we gazed upon the tomb of St Francis.

After our tour of the Basillica was over we had a bit of spare time to wonder the streets of Assissi. Hugging the walls to walk in the meter wide strip of shade in the streets we soon decided that now was a good opportunity for our daily gelato as it was way too hot for a cappuccino.

Experience 29. No siesta for us. Spoleto. 18 June.

Only the stupid tourists were out and about in Spoleto during the afternoon. It was absolutely scorching. All the locals were safely ensconced in their homes out of the heat of the day. I would have been happy to stay in doors but Chez was keen to get amongst it, so off we went.

Spoleto is not a big place...there is an old castle on top of a hill that was used as a prison for a long time, a modest duomo, and an old roman house but the best attraction is the roman built aqua duct. It is an amazing piece of engineering still standing strong. We were able to walk across it, thankfully in the shade. On the far side was a bit of a ruin...old church etc and some nice bush tracks which we followed for a bit...great views back to the aqua duct and loads more shade. This is a popular running spot for the locals..but only very early in the morning at this time of year I would imagine......I was making my plans for the next morning as we strolled about.

At some point we found a nice little restaurant that was populated with a large number of locals. It was dark and cool and the food was fine. I don't have any idea where it was, I was delirious from the heat by this time but managed a bit of food and loads of cool refreshing aqua naturale.

Back in town and the fierce heat had not dissipated at all. Finally we were able to call it a day and I stumbled back to the hotel for a drink or twenty!

I didn't do the run I had planned cause I was too dehydrated from the last few days of touring about.

From Tuscany to Umbria

Experience 26. Worlds Champion Gelato. San Gimignano. 17 June.

First and foremost this was a traveling day but we managed a couple of town trips along the way.

San Gimignano was another walled town with a bit of history. Most notably the town piazza included a shop proclaiming that they were the providers of Gelato that was a world champion. Cheryle decided this was a good time for a triple decker with included tiramisu, notchello and passion fruit. I had pistachio...because I am boring...but it is my favourite.

There was a medieval celebration of sorts going on in the town with locals dressed in costume, a procession through the streets and a show going on which we think included an archery tournament...on the basis of all the blokes with quivers. Unfortunately the show was pay for view and we were on a timetable that didn't allow for an extended stay. Worthy of note was a the lady in waiting to a noble woman in the procession talking on her mobile phone...kind of broke the illusion somewhat.

Experience 27. Scorching in Siena. Siena. 17 June.

By the time we got to Siena the day had turned A scorching 37 degrees. We had a long walk into the town centre from the bus parking area and it was a bit of a wilt quite frankly. How some of the older tour members were coping I have no idea.

We stopped for lunch on the main square where they annually hold these crazy horse races. The place is a typical piazza, loads of hard surfaces and hard edges. What it is like with loads of horses careering about the place is hard to imagine...all they do is put a bit of soil and sawdust on the ground.

We did a bit of shopping but to be honest In the heat I not sure that even Cheryle's heart was in it...and that is saying quite a bit in my view.

The tower

Experience 23. Cycling and Cobblestones. Lucca. 16 June

Venturing from our home in Montecatini, our first stop today was the fortified medieval town of Lucca, famous for being the birthplace of Puccini. Popular with the locals, cycling through the town was an option taken up by 4 in our group. John and I picked up our hire pushbikes, did a few laps of the car park to get the feel of our bikes, then off we went. Town maps in hand. Left then right then right then left. Bouncing over the cobblestones in the narrow streets. Dodging people, cars, vespas, polizia. Stopping at every piazza to figure out where we were. Finally we found our way to our destination, an amphitheater come circular piazza surrounded by shops, cafes and apartments. "Due cappucini per favore" we asked the waiter. After our caffe we hopped back on our bikes and did a bit more of the same. Stopping to view a statue of Puccini, we bumped into Kristen. Her mum, Jen, came off her bike and broke her new pair of Raybans so they returned theirs early as Jen decided she didn't like this experience. Whereas we were having a blast, finding it a little bit tricky through the streets with all the traffic and the people that had to be negotiated we decided to head for the wall that circled the whole town. With a bike and pedestrian path on the top of the wall we had a great ride all the way around. Lots of fun and a welcome change from pounding the cobblestones.

Experience 24. Leaning on the Tower. Pisa. 16 June.

Going to see the leaning tower was something we were really looking forward to and it didn't disappoint. We left the bus and picked up a little train that Aldo our guide called the "Noddy" train. This took us to a drop off point in the centre of town. We rounded a corner and there is was. Awesome! Diana (not the princess) but a lovely lady in our tour group said that it was a lot whiter than it used to be, when she had seen it before. It had apparently been cleaned recently. It shimmered in the heat of the day. The setting including the cathedral and surrounds only added to the atmosphere.

The lawns surrounding the tower were perfectly manicured and the police spent much of their time chasing people off blowing their whistles with little effect...no one was able to see the keep off the grass signs although they were posted every couple of meters.

It was interesting watching people setting up their poses so that they looked like they were leaning against the leaning tower in photos taken by their friends. There were rows of them and they looked pretty odd without the context of the tower itself. Chez and I found a piece of grass that we were allowed to sit on (being law abiding types) and took a few pictures using the tower as a prop, it was actually a fun thing to do, although the one where I was lying on my back with my feet on the tower suggested a few ab exercises will be needed once I get home!

Experience 25. Dante's Farm

Dante owned an olive grove. It wasn't a very big one, but he did make nice olive oil courtesy of the co-operative olive oil press. Dante told us all about different olive oil regions and how you made virgin or otherwise...should the seeds be included or excluded...etc etc. It was a sultry afternoon, hot and still. We gave Dante a clap and moved into the back of his farm house for fresh local Tuscan fair. We started with a cold vegetable soup that was so delicious it was difficult not to pass up the anti pasta that followed for another bowl....and another.

Dante also gave us information about the white, red and desert vino's we sampled, but by then I for one was much more interested in the consumption than the characteristics.

Today's Run:

At first light, before the heat of the day could set in I set off on a run from our hotel up the hill towards Alto. The track followed the foniculare track. It was rocky and steep and I was soon thinking this was maybe a bad idea. I had to walk some sections because the footing was a bit dodgy and a twist up here would be a bad thing...also as I said it was steep...so I was getting a bit tired. The views were the same as when we travel the hill on the funiculare, but maybe a touch more satisfying. I walked down because the footing seemed even more treacherous than the trip up..plus did I mention that it was a bit steep and I was tired? At the bottom was able to stretch out a bit with a nice run through the local park where most of the locals took their morning jog.

The Italian Riviera

Experience 21. A Day by the Sea. Cinque Terra. 15 June.

Sunshine and temp in the mid 30's was perfect for cruising on the Mediterranean Sea and that is just what we did today. From La Spezia we cruised past some Italian Navy ships heading out towards the open sea. The heat of the day was soon forgotten as the cooler sea air surrounded us. We stopped at two of the five towns that make up the five lands (Cinque Terre). Firstly, Porte Venere where we were treated to drop jaw views from every angle, once you took the gradual climb to the church ruins on the point which was right at the entrance to the sea. A further gradual climb to the ruins of a fortress then it was down down down much steeper steps. Glad we didn't take the steep climb option, we headed for some of the local focaccia made from chick pea flour which was Porto Veneres specialty. Yum yum.

From there it was on to Monterosso, a few stops along the way picking up many more passengers and many photos later. A photographers dream with steep hills to the shores filled with colored houses in the shades of pinks yellows and blue. Azzure blue waters which looked oh so tempting. Unfortunately we didn't have our bathers so had to settle for getting our feet wet in the crystal waters of the pebbly beach. Only parts of the beach are free to enjoy here the rest you have to pay to use. Mind you, you do get a sun lounge! Beach umbrella and a private change room when you pay for this privilege. Later on our trip when we are on the coast in Amalfi we will make sure we take our swimmers.

Experience 22. Turkey and sparklers. Montecatini Terme. 15 June.

Tonight we were treated to a Gala Dinner. The highlight was the main course of roast turkey. Prior to being carved and served as our dinner, the whole rosted bird of enormous proportions was paraded around the dining room with sparklers ablaze like a birthday cak. Never seen that before. Definitely a new experience.

 

David

Experience 20. David

Early start as we had an 8:45am booking to see the David at the Academia. This was actually a free day but Aldo our guide had organized the booking for those that were interested. 17 of us set off by train for Florence after stamping our train tickets....you can buy a train ticket any time in advance of using it, but you have to stamp it before going on the train....no stamp, big fine if you are caught.

There were huge queues when we arrived at the Academia but we were able to walk past them all and go to the bookings door and cruised right on in. Lots of really old paintings, but at the end of the day it was the star attraction that got all the attention. Seemed to me that the reputation of the sculpture was not unreasonable. David was originally meant to sit atop the duomo down the road so he was meant to be viewed from below, this is apparently why his hands are disproportionately large. Once he was built I think it was decided that it would be a bit of a waste putting him up on high, so he ended up in the ...piazza, before moving on to the Academia for safe keeping. His hand that holds the sling has been reattached and his other hand lost the middle finger when supposedly a little girl was climbing him. These repairs can be discerned. There is apparently a gouge in one of his legs but couldn't make that out.

Full marks M.A....a fair piece of sculpting that.

Experience 21. Fun on the Foniculare

After Florence in the morning, we returned to our home town by train and freshened up before heading up the Foniculare to Montecatini Alto for views and refreshment. The foniculare was old and pretty slow. It climbed the hill steadily and surely. It was single track for all but a few meters in the middle of the rail where a carriage coming from the opposite direction passed.

On arrival we did a circuit of the town taking in views of Montecatini and beyond. First beer was in the plaza, just after our drinks arrived and we had done a salute around our table a great cheer went up all around the square......Italia had taken the lead against Croatia in their Euro cup match.

One of our traveling companions was convinced that the town had been used in the filming of a George Clooney movie...the American(?)....in which George goes about assassinating lots of people...all in such tranquil surrounds one can only assume. After that discussion we were all seeing George everywhere. Every short balding local was a candidate.

We dined at a hotel restaurant that was a bit out of the way but with breath taking views of the surrounds. Many bottles of Chianti, local pasta and one of the most fabulous sunsets you could wish to see later and we bid Montecatini Alto farewell.

25th Anniversary in Tuscany

Experience 19. Firenze Fine Art. Florence, 13th June.

A visit to Firenze (aka Florence) is not a bad way to celebrate our 25th Wedding anniversary. A walking tour of the highlights with a Canadian guide who was very knowledgable and passionate about art and all things Florentine. We strolled into the piazza which originally contained several small sculptures of clothed women.....until Michelangelos 'David' was placed here.....then it was on for young and old as the artists tried to outdo each other with their artistic masterpieces. Lots of naked sulptures and grotesque sculptures of differing styles. A very good copy of 'David' resides here as the original is in safer lodgings. We also visited the Ufizzi Gallery where we were treated to viewing works from Botticelli, Michelangelo and Da Vinci with great commentary from our guide. A great view of the Ponto Vecchio bridge over the river was the only time we were allowed to take photos within the gallery.

A fabulous pasta lunch in a cafe in the Santa Croce followed by a wander through the streets of Florence. Florence is full of leather shops and gold markets. Gold of all varieties white, yellow, rose and a new one for me black gold. Leather in every color of the rainbow made it very hard to only chose one handbag.

Experience 20. Anniversary Show. Montecatini, 13th June.

After dinner, Cheryle and I joined a number of our touring party on a visit to the local...I guess you might call it community centre, for a night of Italian culture. A performance of Verdi, Puccini and other highlights and hits from the local operatic scene (I suppose). For those who know me it will come as no surprise when I say I am not the biggest opera buff going. I recall my dad spinning Madam Butterfly on the family turntable to my utter bemusement as a younger person....such a sensible man otherwise.

Anyway, we turned up as a group, tired and full of food. It had been a long day in a warm and busy Florence. The performers numbers three, a tenor, a soprano and a lovely young lass playing accompaniment on the piano. The house full sign was up and there was a murmur of expectation amongst the punters. The pianist was first. In a long black gown she walked from the back of the hall to the front (there was no stage as such). After a solo piece to polite applause the tenor strode forth from the back of the hall and sang something, to further applause he strode to the back of the hall. The soprano then walked the hall from back to front, sang a number and strode back the way she had come...to generous applause. Next the tenor and the soprano strode forth...and returned. This procession proceeded for a number of iterations with a intermission around half time.

Are they short of chairs in Italy? It is not a failing I have noted to date. Were they so busy that they needed to take their daily exercise during the performance? Were they laughing at the efforts of the other and didn't want to be seen sitting at the front? It was all rather curious and probably the highlight of the evening for me.

For some of the others in our group, the highlight of the evening seemed to be to close their eyes and enjoy the listening experience, thankfully not too many of them are noisy snorers.

 

Under the Tuscan Sun

Experience 18. Feasting Tuscan Style. Montecatini Terme, Tuscany. 13 June.

We bid our castle arrivederci as we headed south from the cooler north towards Tuscany. Passing through Bologna to our resting place for the next five nights...a family run hotel in Montecatini Terme. The Italian Summer is with us now as the temperature is in the 30's. Tonight we were treated to a visit to a local farm, Poggios, for an evening of fun, frivolity and feasting Tuscan style. Several bottles of red and white vino were on the tables for us to taste and have as much as we wanted. Italian breads, olive oil and vinegar followed by antipasta....followed by soup....followed by ribs, chicken, Italian sausage, potatoes and salad all in the tuscan way. Finally real Italian food we had all been craving. For dessert came tiramisu, dessert wine and biscotti......they dunk the biscotti in the dessert wine here in Tuscany. And finally a shot of espresso and a shot of grappa. Needless to say a lot of laughter and a bit of singing was in the air as we returned to our hotel. An awesome Tuscan culinary experience.

 

City of Canals

Experience 15. Travel Venetian style. Venice. 11 June.

 

Excitement was brewing as we descended from our castle on the funicular for our day trip to Venice. Approaching the city we found the two main entry points to the city from the expressway blocked due to work being undertaken on a new tram service. So we had to double back to an earlier exit and ran into the worst traffic jam that involved all the traffic trying to get to Venice on that morning...as it was the only route open. We soon forgot all that after we crawled into Tronchetto, where all land vehicles stop, as we had a surprise introduction to romantic Venice awaiting. Surrounded by 5 ocean cruise ships, our first taste of Venice was a private water taxi trip down the entire Grand Canal. Travelling under the three bridges that spanned the canal, the most famous being the Rialto Bridge (grafitti covered and all) we finished our journey at St Marks Square. A truly amazing way to start our day in Venice, the canal was a buzz of activity, ferries, barges, taxis and of course the famous gondolas. But more about them later. So much amazing beauty to take in from all directions. The smile on our faces was about to last all day except when we picked our chins up off the floor.

Experience 16. Mosaic, Marble and Murano. Venice. 11 June

A guided walking tour of Venice took us to the St Marks Basillica. Another amazing architectural delight which our guide told us took a century to build and six centuries to decorate. Once we stepped inside it soon became apparent how this was possible. Looking down, the finely patterned floors were made from marble of all colors from many sources but the majority was looted from Constantinople after a sacking by crusaders. As our eyes followed up the walls we were dazzled by the mosaic tiled frescos all the way to the top of the five domes in the ceiling. The frescos were made from tiny square mosaic tiles of marble and murano glass with backgrounds of goldleaf inlayed murano glass tiles. Spectacular to say the least. Our guide noted that pieces do from time to time fall from the ceiling...but no luck today in finding any.

Venice is also famous for Murano glass so we took the option to visit an authentic Murano glass gallery where we were treated to a glass blowing demonstration and an insight to the history and techniques used for this famous glass. Also a few tips on how to identify authentic Murano glass and not the cheap copies found in countless stalls in the streets of Venice. The gallery was full of very expensive beautiful sculptures, vases, bowls, glasses etc. I picked up a lovely bowl that appealled, about the size of a noodle bowl, which was in a more contemporary style. Unfortunately the price tag read about 500 euro. Instead, as a memento of our glorious time in Venice, I found a lovely glass bead to add to my Pandora bead collection.

Experience 17. Gondola

Our guide organized a Gondola ride for those interested from our tour party. There were fifteen of us in all. To carry this group required three gondolas. Five went in the first, four in the second and six in the last. In the second boat, in which Chez and I were passengers, a singer and an accordion player also jumped on board. We shared a bottle of champagne as the player played and the singer sang. The gondolas cruised Indian style up the narrow canals before entering the Grand canal. The skilled gondoliers then ran our gondolas along side each other as we cruised the canal. We sang along to Delilah and a few other songs that I scarcely recall even the day after (as I write this). As a group we were all smiles for the duration of the ride. On our return to the drop off point through the narrow canals, people on the bridges we passed took photo's of our performers and clapped and cheered their efforts..."don't cheer, throw coin, this is costing me money!" I yelled, but to no avail. It seemed quite surreal...the whole event. The pictures are testament to the enjoyment we gained from this experience.

 

Our Castle Awaits

Experience 14. A day of two castles. 10 June

Stresa behind us, we spent most of the day on the bus traveling from west to east....moving ever closer to Venezia (sometimes referred to as Venice). Diversion for the day being a stop at Sirmione ... Where large numbers of Sunday tourists enjoyed a trip around the castle, a walk, a swim and a gelato. The town is set on a very narrow peninsula into lake Garda, the castle dominates the approaches from land and sea.
Our days destination was Castelbrando which dominates the surrounds of Cison de Valmarino and the approaches through the alps from Austria beyond. The castle is on high with no direct access for motorized transport apart from a funicular that could move about ten at a crush. Once inside the castle there were stairs and hallways leading in all sorts of directions. Before drinks and dinner we had a tour of the castle which helped with ones bearings. The castle was converted into a hotel in the nineties, aside from rooms, dining and conference facitilies there was a museum of armor and weaponry from the past and dungeons still intact...if not In operation.
It was a long journey so after dinner a quiet drink and rest before Venezia!

Stress free Stressa

Experience 12. Seven k's on the concourse. Stresa 9th June.
The trip to date had included a fair amount of walking, but to be fair the balance for the first week had been with the food and drink. As we had a late start today I decided it was time for the first (of few) runs for the tour. Stresa has a concourse that runs along the lake for about 4km. What could be better?
There were some problems though. Whilst there weren't many other runners up and moving at 6:15 in the a.m. The ones that were wanted to take their right hand side of the track, which was my left hand side of the track.....which is where I am used to going. The cars kept coming from unexpected places as well.....were they on coming on this side of the road or that. It is surprising how something so simple can get so confusing when you start puffing a bit.
But the real problem was with my G.P.S. I was flying along but the stupid thing was constantly down playing my efforts....I was doing 5 minute K's easy but the G.P.S, obviously built for the southern hemisphere, kept calling them 6 minute+ K's, which was obviously wrong and really annoying!
Experience 13. In the footsteps of Napoleon (again). Isola Bella on Lago Maggiore. 9 June.
Just a 5 minute private boat ride away was Isola Bella. The entire island was taken up by a palatial villa with impressive gardens owned by one of the wealthiest families in Italy, the Borromeos. With decorative styles ranging from baroque, to neoclassical to a grotto inspired lower level of chambers. The villa was filled with grand Murano glass chandeliers, massive tapestries, suits of armour, marionettes, family portraits and water views from every window. An eerie feeling came over us as we stepped into the guest bedroom where Napoleon had spent one night. Outside the tiered gardens were filled with blooming roses, flowing fountains, statues and pure white peacocks. From Isola Bella, which was designed to look like a boat from afar, another 5 minute boat ride and we were on Isola Pescatore, the fishermans island. We had lunch of local fish from the lake overlooking the water then a wander through the quaint cobblestone alleyways which seem to be a very common trait in Italian villages that I just never get tired of.
Experience 14. Weddings, Rain and Chianti. Stresa. 9 June.
Saturday afternoon/evening was free time from the tour. The option that appealed to Chez and I was a stroll through town and a light dinner. All of the big water frontage hotels, including our own, were holding wedding receptions. Lots of people gussied up, brides and grooms, music and dancing. The wedding party at our hotel had some remote connection with the Scots, so all the Italian boys in the wedding party were dressed in kilts! Most peculiar indeed.
Aldo, our tour guide, suggested it was going to start raining some time between 3 and 4 in the arvo and he was spot on. The rain started very lightly at 3:10pm but settled in over the course of the afternoon.This was a bit annoying because it meant the sky bar at our hotel would be closed as there is no shelter. Every shop in town was suddenly selling umbrellas...we purchased one.
At dinner we shared a pizza and Chianti in the Piazza. The rain was falling constantly by this time and the drip line to my right was becoming more of a torrent by the minute. The waiters assisted in moving our table but only after more than one of them had walked through it and copped a bit of a soaking.
We leave Stresa in the morning, we would happily stay a while longer.
Worth a mention: Stresa is a really pretty town adorned with brightly coloured flowers in manicured garden beds and balcony flower boxes everywhere. In particular there were numerous varieties of roses, petunias and begonias in almost irridescent reds, pinks and whites. The Isola Bella was also no exception with its adornment of flowering plants. It must truly be amazing in the spring when the azalea bushes which were about 2 meters tall by about 4 meters wide were in bloom.

A day in Switzerland

Experience 10. What's the Matterhorn? Gornergrat, Switzerland. 8th June.

A cloudy day with a chance of rain and a chance of sunshine. Our destination being Gornergrat from which sensational views of the Matterhorn are guaranteed...or are they?

Our bus ride was about three hours, across the boarder and along winding roads through alpine country. The alps...what can you say about them...well, they're a bit hilly! We traversed the Simplon Pass which was originally built to allow Napoleon to pass his cannon into the Italian territories of the time, presumably to terrorise and blow up the locals....well, in truth it was probably the Austrian occupiers he was aiming for.

We passed snow covered peaks and very Swiss looking chalets, some of which seemed to be perched in precarious positions...don't drop your ball cause it is a long way down! From Tasch we took a 10 minute train ride to Zermatt then a cog railway to our destination. On the cog railway we passed a curious looking rodent sitting stock still on the snow, one of our gang suggested it was a Marmot, which after consultation with Professor Google, seemed to be about right.

Very cloudy & extremely cold in the thin air of Gornergrat, the lack of air took me back to the Kinabalu climb, short of breath and an instant headache. Not much view though. They call this mountain the mighty Matterhorn, but it seemed to be a bit shy today. The skies did clear in part from time to time, but not where the mountain was supposed to be, in fact the patch of cloud remained stubbornly in place despite the freezing winds that swirled all around. After a few icy snowballs were tossed about we gave up and headed back to the cog railway and our decent....why wouldn't you come out, what was the Matter horn?

Experience 11. Chocolate by the gram. Zermatt, Switzerland. 8th June.

More popular than snow capped alps and the Matterhorn in Switzerland is of course Swiss chocolate. A visit to the local chocolatier in Zermatt, before our return train ride to Tasch was definitely an experience not to be missed. It almost felt like we had stepped into a scene from Willy Wonka, mouth watering beautiful looking chocolate from wall to wall. They had a myriad of wrapped chocolates, individual gourmet chocolate to chose from and even the familiar Toblerone. Well it looked the same as the Toblerones we have in oz, only difference was that this one was 4.5kg. As tempting as it was, I didn't think I could afford the weight in my luggage (sorry Nick and Tom) and with all the other local Italian delicacies to consume on our trip I didn't think even I could consume 4.5kg of Toblerone in 3 weeks. So I went for a few grams from the slabs of chocolate which they just snapped off how ever many grams you wanted. All sort of combinations to chose from in either white, milk or dark chocolate. My choices this time were milk chocolate with praline almond and straight milk chocolate. Devine to say the least.

 

The Albatross Tour begins!

Experience 7: Cable Car to the top. Stressa. 6th June.

So we met some of our tour companions in the lobby of our hotel. As it turned out, everyone on the tour was from OzStraya, which we didn't realize was going to be the case. We jumped on the bus and farewelled Milano, heading for Stressa. Our tour guide talked most of the way, the do's and don'ts of touring....but more about him later.

Once settled into this amazing hotel on the picturesque Lago Maggiore, we headed for the cable car run up to Mottarone, which was a modest peak overlooking the lake. John attempted some chit chat with the cable car driver, which was not going well at all, when a nice older lady from our tour rescued him, as she had a "little" Italian....actually she had a lot...certainly by my standards given I (JL) was quite lost after Buon Journo. Anyway, on arrival at the lookout, the view was OK but limited owing to an afternoon mist and low cloud....a foretaste of things to come. The cable car ride was fun, it actually included three separate stages, built in 1970 and still going strong.

Experience 8: Name dropping in Lake Como. 7th June.

Another lake in the Italian Lakes district, Lago Como was on the agenda today. Lago Como is popular with the rich and famous and many majestic villas are found on it's shores. We visited a modest villa for the area, Villa Carlotta and its extensive beautifully manicured gardens. Unfortunately, George Clooney is selling his villa on Lake Como, due to being tired of being bothered by the paparazzi, so there was no chance of spotting him on our cruise around the lake. Our tour director, Aldo, then proceded to advise us that if we had a spare 20 million euro, there was a villa for sale on the lake. Some notable properties we did cruise past were Richard Branson's villa, a villa used in one of the James Bond movies (will have to find out which one) and another villa in Italy where Napoleon once slept. We then cruised into the quaint village of Bellagio for lunch and a wander through the cobblestoned streets. It was here that we also enjoyed our first Italian Gelati. Peach for Chez and Pistachio for John. Pistachio won the taste test this time.

Experience 9: First proper Italian lesson. 7th June.

Like most people, it seems the Italians don't mind so much that we aussie's can't speak the lingo, but they do like us to have a bit of a try. Aldo, our guide, has been giving us lessons on the bus as we drive between destinations. Most of the words and phrases we went over were not new, it was the way he was teaching us to say them that was the big difference. Emphasis on the vowels and roll your R's. There we all were like a school class...repeat after me....sort of thing. It was fun and funny.

I (JL) have "used my words" with growing confidence since, even to the point where one of the other tour members who heard me ordering some beverages reported back to the group that I was conversing with the hotel staff in the local language. That description was a stretch of the highest order...but I am definitely on the improve.

Worth a mention

Aperol Spritz is a popular drink in the Lombardy Province of Northern Italy. We had seen someone drinking this in Milan and wondered what it was. After being enlightened by Aldo, a pre dinner drink of this vibrant orange colored drink was a must for Chez. Ingredients: Aperol ( a bit like Campari but not as bitter), soda, a slice of orange and lots of ice. Not bad at all.

Prelude in Milano

Experience 5. Pizza with a floor show. 5th June

On arrival in Milan we decided that the best thing to do was have a bit of a rest....amazing how tired you get sitting on a plane for 12 & a half hours. So two hours would still give us plenty of time left in the day for exploring....so five hours later John finally stirs whilst Chez is still snoozing away. The alarm was no help at all! Not to worry, a walk and then dinner will have to do before er going back to sleep again.

Dinner at a small Pizza and Pasta place on the plaza outside Centrale station, watching the world go by..perfect. The pizza was authentic and the beer nice and cold. The floor show started half way through dinner when one of the waiters started berating a colleague for no apparent reason that we could discern. A few minutes later and the whole gang had weighed in. Nothing physical mind you, but certainly willing just the same. They took it in turns coming out to apologise for the behavior of the others before rejoining the melee. It finally settled down but by then no one was coming into the establishment. After Chez and I paid, we left them quiet and alone.

Experience 6. Duomo Dash. 6th June.

Well our Italian Grande Coach tour was to start at midday today, which left us only the morning to taste a bit more of Milan. After a hearty breaky, Italian style, and our first cappuccino for the day, italian style, (boy do the Italians know how to make a good one even without the choc sprinkles), we were out the door just after 9. Now for the fun part, finding our way by foot to the Duomo. After walking for a bit, checking if the trams were an option, then back to walking we stumbled across a gorgeous cobblestone street with designer shops and beautiful window displays, photo opportunity then back to walking. Finally, 50 minutes later we arrive at the piazza where the Duomo sits. What an awesome, gothic looking, marble stone church. We were able to go to the rooftop and wander around. So much incredible detail, statues, gargoyles, fret work, ornate spires just to name a few. Not a pigeon in sight though, they were all p*#%ed off because there were lots of spikes in all the gargoyles and statues to stop them from crapping all over this awesome architecture. After our sojourn on the roof a return dash via the underground train took us 5 minutes. Phew, just made it back in time for a refreshing drink before the next stage of our journey begins.

Worth mentioning in Milan : buy a drink in a bar/cafe and they give you a savory platter of things like olives, nuts and crisps. Buy a drink between 6pm and 8:30pm and it's happy hour in Milan when lots of other gourmet goodies are on offer with your drink for free. Just missed out on the happy hour experience as we had a drink at 5:30pm. Still got the crisps, nuts and olives though.

Next stop Stressa in Northern Italy.

Ciao, Chez & John.

 

Hong Kong

View from the sky peak.

Hong Kong Stopover

Left Sydney 25 minutes late and after a lazy 9 hours and 30ish minutes arrived to a hazy hot Hong Kong.

Chez came up with the idea of finding 50 new experiences to include on this blog rather than writing a direct account, the timeframe is 25 days. So aside from heat rash (which to be fair is not a new experience) here is a couple to get things going.

1st Experience. Kowloon Park 3rd June.

We thought we would head off, on foot, to the famed Temple street night markets in the Kowloon area. With our map in hand we also managed to stumble across and through Kowloon park right in the centre of town. Amazed at some familiar sounds from home in the summer. Confused as to whether the cicadas and koels we were hearing were real or being played over speakers. A bit of an oasis in the middle of the high rise jungle that is Hong Kong and a popular meeting place for the locals.

2nd Experience. Temple Street Night Markets. 3rd June.

As with most of Hong Kong, Temple Street was a neon wonderland. The usual stalls you find at most asian markets and the culinary delights from local family run eating houses spilling out onto the pavement. After being harassed or was it persuaded by the waitress we dined on very yummy but rather overpriced steamed fish amongst other Cantonese delicacies. Nothing too adventurous though. The giant sea cucumber in the shell served whole on the plate just didn't appeal to the senses.

3rd Experience. Crazy double decker bus ride. 4th June.

Crazy double decker bus ride from the peak tram station back to central ferry wharf. John stuffed about with getting the right money together to pay for the ride, which in hindsight might have added to the drivers level of agitation....don't even think about getting any change! The Victoria peak was something else, there was even a bit of breeze that cleared the smog and haze away so we had a pretty decent view of the surrounds. The tram was pretty crazy too, but only because of the steepness of the track. Thankfully there weren't too many bends on the ride back on the 15C bus cause we would have toppled for sure, motorists beware as the driver decided lanes were for pussies!

4th Experience. Peking duck 4 4. 4th June.

Tang Court restaurant. We could have gone to one of ten thousand cheaper places to eat before jetting off to Milan, but we decide to try the Peking duck at the afore mention Michelin 5star Tang Court cantonese restaurant. Everyone was really friendly and the menu was about the size of the Britannica atlas. But we new what we were having before we sat down, it had to be their world famous Peking duck! This had been recommended to us before we left for HK and the matre'de was especially impressed with our selection. What seemed to go unobserved was the quantity of food involved. Not surprisingly I suppose, the locals seem to think we Aussies can tuck away pretty much a whole cow at each sitting, so didn't bat an eyelid when we ordered something as modest as a duck between 2. When it came out for the dissection process, we noticed they must grow ducks pretty big in these parts. Whilst I will never see a dodo I figure this thing was somewhere between the size of one of those and a petite emu! Anyway needless to say it was all delicious and everyone pandered to our every need. Hopefully the staff had a good feed from the left overs!

1:00am flight to Milan, a mere 12 & a half hours away.

Until next time,

Arrivederci, John & Chez.