ABC ASSISI

Two bus rides take us from Gubbio to downtown Assisi. After the wolf story I’m excited to visit St Francis in his home town. The drive is along winding country roads and finally through fields of sunflowers.

ABC – Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli

My that is a mouthful. The bus deposits us directly outside this church that has a mini churchy/chapel thingy inside it called the Porziuncola. This cute little thingy was given to young Frankie by a bishop. It was rundown and derelict in an old oak wood and the man himself repaired it with his own two hands. They’ve retained it, covered it in beautiful artworks and built a cathedral around it. It is one of those infuriating photo free destinations so the only pics available are the poor quality ones in the gift shop.

Classy. A photo of a postcard. Necessity is the mother of invention apparently.

The church itself is pretty but the walkway to the rose garden is where the action is. The powers that be have trained three white doves to perch atop a statue of Frankie. The gullible accept it as a miracle, the observant notice that there are food bowls close by and one of the birds is enjoying very much pecking something tasty off his head. Miraculous indeed. But kind of sweet too.

Hi Ho, Hi, Ho, Follow the yellow, sorry, terracotta brick road.

I realise I have two movie theme songs mixed up but it sort of works! The way to Assisi proper is along a path of terracotta bricks that start at the cathedral and goes for around 4km up the hill to the walled fortifications. Some of the paving bricks have the names of families who have contributed to its cost. A really lovely gesture and it is fun walking along reading the names.

Some fine Italian names!

A beautiful old lady stopped me as I was snapping photos and asked me in Italian if I was a follower of Francis. I brought my best pious beatific look to my face and nodded si si si. She patted me fondly on the cheek saying bene, bene. Good good. I am so going to hell!

We however did not do that 4km unshaded walk on hot pavers to Assisi. We got the bus! Assisi is a pretty village to meander around and has of course a multitude of shops selling all the religious paraphernalia your heart could possibly desire. It could rival Rome on that score. There’s lots to see and a bunch of churches to visit but we have a date with a guided tour.

ABC – Basilica di San Francesco

Brother Joseph was meant to be our learned guide but the robed man was a no show. It was after lunch. Perhaps he’d had too much of their Franciscan wine. Instead we got some dude from the USA who belonged to the order but not as a monk. He kind of ruined Frankie for me. By the end I was sadly convinced that our boy was a raving lunatic who’d starved himself to death and possibly had syphilis. Conjecture on my part. I’m probably going to hell for that too!

The following is my interpretation of the tale and is most likely completely full of bollocks.

Anyhoo, the story goes that as a young man Francis was a bit of party guy. Wealthy, fond of the ladies and a good time. At some point the big guy spoke to him and bade him clean his act up, forgo his riches, live in poverty and do good deeds. Out come the brown robes, off goes the circle of hair on the crown of his head, get the stigmata, become obsessed with fasting, have regular visions from God, talk & preach to the animals and get a legion of followers devoted to you. Die at 44. Oh, there was that little incident where he stole from his Dad, Dad got mad and so Francis renounced him. And there was that other suspicious relationship he had with St Clare or Chiara depending on the translation. Has unrequited love written all over it.

He did at least found the poor lass her own order. A short eventful life with a lasting legacy. You got to hand it to the guy, he did begin a gentle order of kind souls that has endured. He’s a likeable saint that seems to inspire goodness in people. I didn’t make it into Claire’s church but this is an image of her from the church downtown.

None of his modern day adherents thankfully seem to subscribe to his fasting regime. I spent much of my day impiously snapping photos of robed ones against their will. They are very camera shy but I persisted.

Ooh he looks huggable.

St Francis is buried in the basilica that is essentially a three story church in a stone sarcophagus in the subterranean chapel amongst some of his best buddies (but not Sr Claire). The church kept going up from there. They’ve built two successively larger churches above him. The frescoes on the walls are beautiful and extensive with offerings from different eras mixing “scenes” from Francis life with biblical scenes. Frescoes of the Madonna in heaven with little rosy cheeked baby Jesus and Frankie in the corner looking sad and hungry. The guide told us that there is no time in heaven so all things are possible. Of course they are.

In the absence of the main man this is Lester being filled with angelic spirit. Didn’t take!

Oh no I’m one of the people with a guide talking in my ear. I was excited at first. I thought it was the voice of The Lord, sadly it was the secular American brother. Totally different.

Spello
Spellbound, sloshed, soused and sozzled.
Well well well welcome to Spello. We arrived sober and left quite merry. Spello looks a lot like Assisi and is only a few minutes down the road by train. It is reputedly famous for its annual flower festival which I am of course not here to witness. The streets are lined with flowers and locals vie for prizes for their floral home displays. Even off season it is obvious they take a lot of pride in their town. I’ll just have to come back some time.

An award winners plaque.

However the real reason we are here is not for the flowers but for a gourmet experience at Enoteca Properzio, owned by the very affectionate Roberto Angelini. Lets just say he was very demonstrative and was perhaps less than paternal in his actions than his fatherly exterior projected. We were treated to a feast of olive oil, bread, cheese, truffle, honey, soup and various wines to perfectly match every course led by the very knowledgeable son of Mr Demonstrative.

They even had beauty products for the ladies based on olive oil. All kinds of deliciousness. The collection of glasses on the table at the end of the event was impressive. Even more impressive is that at the end of the day I was one of the more sober ones. Strange but true! Thankfully the way to the train station was all down hill. We made it home safe on the blessedly short train trip.

Everyone popped off to bed and I popped down to visit Frankie’s little mini chapel again for the last time. A cool peaceful contemplative place to recover from the excesses of the day. A sot in a reformed sot’s sacred place. Irony? Perhaps not.

NEXT STOP – ROME AGAIN

A few more pretties

Aspidistra elatior – Cast Iron Plant. Green is good.

Sunflowers

OK, not so pretty.

Going Gaga in Gubbio

A long day of travel consisting of three trains and a bus take us from the water world of Venice to picturesque Gubbio in the Umbrian region of Italy. I don’t think I’ve ever visited a town so clean and tidy. It’s got that nice small town vibe going on.

Gubbio is also famous for its pottery ware

Fontana dei Pazzi
This little town has a whole lot of crazy going on! They even have a society called the Eugubian Lunatics that I am now an honorary member of. I have the certificate to prove it. Except I kind of sort of cheated. To join this illustrious society one must run three times around the Fontana dei Pazzi (Fountain of the Crazy People) while a local splashes water on you. I only had one of my crazy Intrepid travel buddies to do the honours but the nice old lady in charge of the certificates sold me one anyway. 3.50 Euro. Cheap at half the price to finally be certified. I was more than a bit wet as my friend was very enthusiastic about giving me a good soaking. Who can blame him?

Ceri Race

The crazy continues with the annual Ceri Race (pronounced like cherry). Teams of lunatics race three large ornate timber prism ceri thingys representing their three patron saints from the town square up a steep winding hill to the basilica perched above the town. These things are seriously heavy at 400kg each and awkwardly shaped. We watched a video of the race at the basilica and it is utter madness. The town is in a frenzy, cheering the teams on. The teams run at a frenetic pace, their adrenalin must be pumping, as they try to keep the ceri upright while running up a hill that is a challenging walk let alone running with all that unwieldy weight. The whole town is utterly gaga that day. Wish I could be there to witness and participate.

Unwieldy ornate Ceris

Funivia
Bird cage cable car.
Less crazy people take this original contraption up the hill. With the help of an attendant one has to almost run to get into the birdcage as it doesn’t stop to load and unload its human cargo. A very open air experience and not for those scared of heights. Takes you up to a superb view of the village, the church, a cafe and some roman ruins.

ABC – Basilica Sant Ubaldo
Good St Ubaldo, hero of Gubbio, is somewhat gruesomely entombed, preserved and on display in a glass coffin in this church.

Yummy mummy?

Frankie and the Wolf
St Francis of Assisi, while not part of the ceri madness, is another hero of Gubbio. The story goes that back in the day a vicious wolf was terrorising the town and so they called in Francis, the animal whisperer. His legendary success of taming the savage beast is commemorated in a touching statue that is definitely hug worthy. Who you going to call? St. Francis! I’ve got the theme song to Ghostbusters in my head.

Plant files
Other than a passionfruit completely covered in flower there is really nothing I haven’t seen everywhere else. Pines, pomegranate, poppies, oleander, roses and some nice wild weeds.

Honorary food mention
Fusion Cafe. Funky bar popular with locals that puts on a free buffet of healthy snacks every day at happy hour. A cocktail and gourmet nibbles for 5 Euro. Bargain.

Look who’s the queen of the castle

Excellent little town, sad to be going
NEXT STOP ASSISI

Amalfi, that’s Amore

The joy of sun, salt and limoncello continues as we journeyed just a little further down the coast. Only accessible by road or sea, given the option I would take the sea. Unfortunately the road awaits us and this trip is not for the faint hearted. The roads are just too narrow and windy for the number and size of vehicles that frequent it. But much beauty awaits us. Amalfi is absolutely gorgeous.

Our accommodation is right above the main square, great for people watching, not so much for sleeping. The square is overlooked by an ABC with beautiful Moorish detail and a bell that we quickly develop an intense love hate relationship with. It dings and peals and gongs and dongs much longer and many more times than seems necessary. Every 15 minutes it makes an audio scene and Sunday mornings are just plain ridiculous.

The offending instrument of religious torture.

At the beach we hire a chair with umbrella for 5 Euro each. It is less rocky here but the “sand” here is black. The ladies are regularly baled up by the local Lothario in his white budgie smugglers who I dub the White Pointer. I didn’t think to get photo evidence until the next day and he was sporting a fetching navy pair.

Yet another “lucky” girl

RAVELLO
Another even more terrifying bus ride awaits us up 20 minutes of steep hairpin bends to the idyllic village of Ravello. I don’t know how the bus drivers do it. They drive like maniacs but seem totally relaxed. Valium? Something in the water? Perhaps it’s all the limoncello.

The ABC has a Moorish altar like none I’ve ever seen before. Unfortunately I wasn’t there long enough to learn of its significance.

This day held a surprise for me when my prosciutto and melon (yum!) was served on a twin to a plate with a design matching one that I have at home. I inherited a collection of hand painted Italian plates from my father that I’ve always loved and have never seen anywhere else. Ravello is famous for its pottery and that design is particular to the village. A real treat for me. Dad would be chuffed! Sadly I can’t add to the collection right now as plates aren’t exactly suitcase friendly. I’ll just have to come back! How terrible.

Pottery aside the other reason to visit Ravello is to enjoy some of their famous villas. With time to visit only one, Villa Cimbrone the most famous was our destination. A good choice. Beautifully sculpted gardens accompanied by beautiful sculptures all overlooking the ocean. And with names like The Avenue of Immensity and The Terrace of Infinity how could we resist?

Later in the day we happily discovered a tranquil square where I could indulge in my new favourite drink Aperol Spritz with complimentary crisp green olives that were the best I’ve ever tasted. Mmmmm.

The Walk of the Gods – Senterio Degli Dei
Whilst we are feeling pretty special, we are none of us gods, this name is attributed to a famous walk from the peak of the island down to Positano, more lemon scented seaside village. Yet another terrifying uphill winding bus ride to the village of Bomerano takes us to its beginnings. The walk begins in the grape fields amongst red poppies and yellow flowering Santolina.

The team with me hugging the pole as per usual

It is not too difficult, marked clearly with painted markings on rocks to follow and with spectacular views. It ends with an excruciating 1700 concrete steps. We amuse ourselves by busting the odd dance move on the way down. Our descent was rewarded with a kiss and a sprig of Bougainvillea from yet another affectionate Italian gentleman. The south of Italy truly is the region of love.

Positano is another lovely if busier village. The shops are much the same and a bit steeper to get around. One just needs to stop once in awhile to refresh with an Aperol Spritz.

Back in Amalfi I lunch with Victoria from Team Intrepid 1 at a restaurant where the staff kiss me on the cheek and on the top of my head every time they serve me. Region of love, love, love!

White Pointer and numerous kisses aside our most memorable meeting was with the waitress from the coffee shop beneath our hotel. Full of advice about Menopause, stomach crunches, using men like tissues, Viagra and male potency after 55, you get the picture. No coffee in Amalfi felt complete without those pearls of wisdom. On our goodbye she exacted the promise that we would remember what she said. How could we forget?

The sun, salt, sea, limoncello not to mention all that love are hard to leave but Arriverderci Amalfi.
NEXT STOP VENICE

A few more pretties

Sorrento Sunshine, Salt and Limoncello

The south of Italy is very distracting and I’m a bit behind on my posts. All the salt and sunshine and Limoncello really took it out of me!

SORRENTO
Another little rattler train delivered us to this gem of a seaside town. The southern cities of love theme continues as yet another of our girls is chatted up on the train. Must be the volcano, it makes everybody more passionate and devil may care.

Vesuvius in the distance but not really that far

We are in Limoncello country here, that most delicious of liqueurs made from their very special lemons. The winding cobbled streets are full of vendors and the first thing our guide does is march us into the best producer in town to sample their wares. It’s a tough life.

Dinner was at a restaurant by the restaurant selling only local seafood while enjoying a most spectacular sunset. Delicious in all kind of ways.

ABC – Chiesa dell Addorolata
This is hands down the girliest church I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. Pastel pink inside and with rather obvious femal symbology. Pinktastic.

CAPRI
As pleasant as wandering the lemon scented streets of Sorrento can be, the Isle if Capri beckons. Just off the Sorrento coast and popular with the rich and famous, it can be visited most obviously only by boat. None of the options are cheap but our hostess with the mostest gets our group of ten an affordable private tour on a large dinghy with a motor.

This day crystallises into one of the best of my life. Our skipper is an Italian/Englishman with a London accent. The weather is picture perfect, the boat skips over the sparkling water and I am basking in bliss. Mario takes his time, showing us the nooks and crannies as he circumnavigates the isle. Before we disembark he stops mid sea and encourages us to jump overboard. So over we go, well some of us. The Mediterranean is super salty which seems to add buoyancy and very little effort is needed to stay afloat. We just bobbed around. There are no sharks here and that makes me very happy. A lifetime of worrying about Jaws is hard to break but I could get used to it.

Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, once back on board Mario offered me an ice cold Peroni. I am one wet happy salty camper.

Capri is not dissimilar to Sorrento with its type of shops but is more expensive and more touristy busy. We caught the funicular to the top of the island to indulge in a group gourmet picnic while enjoying spectacular views. One peak of the isle has a pretty if not particularly skilful small garden that has an entry fee but is worth it for yet another viewing perspective.

Before we left we jumped back in the sea at one of their excuses for a beach. There is only one small handkerchief of “beach” open to the public but it was enough. Lots and lots of slippery rocks does not make for a relaxing but instead for an hilarious time. Getting in and out is challenging for some! I needed some assistance. Easier just to stay in I say! Another blissful skim across the water with another ice cold beer took us home.

Back in Sorrento, to top off such a trying day we got a lesson from an artisan Gelato maker who explained in delicious detail how to make both Gelato and Limoncello giving us a certificate of attendance with recipes, contact details for questions and sampling two types of gelato made with pride and love. It was a difficult day! We are now all insufferable know it all gelato experts and critique every one we indulge in from that point on!

A few more pretties…..

NEXT STOP AMALFI

Pompeii – City of Love

I had great photos but……
Travel is about discipline and my rule is to upload my photos off my camera everyday in case of mishap. The one day I don’t do it, the next day my camera malfunctioned and deleted everything. Nearly two whole days of irreplaceable moments. I’m traumatised, but I’ll recover in time with therapy. Welcome to the new category of ‘I had great photos but’. A few of my travel buddies kindly donated a few which I am passing off as my own.

But first Napoli.

Naples
Roll up roll up to a bit of a heck hole. My apologies to those who love Naples. In the very short time I was there she did not show me her good side except for a few notable exceptions. It was dirty and smelly and dilapidated. The streets were filthy with rubbish, the vendors were selling cheap Chinese crap but there are three very good reasons to go there.

1. Pizza.
Naples is the home of pizza and has the most famous pizza restaurant in the world in a very understated venue. They serve 2 kinds of pizza. One with cheese and the other with tomato sauce. No meat, no other toppings. A small size is HUGE but at 4 euro how can you go past it? Already legendary, the restaurant was made even more famous by the book and film Eat, Love, Pray. I had the best photos of me hugging one of the most famous pizza men in the world but……

Kindly donated by Leah. I think both the pizza guy and I have eaten too much Pizza.

2. Coffee
Naples makes the most unbelievable espresso. Blows your head off in one shot. I had photos but…….

3. Naples Archaelogical Museum
This incredible building houses statues, frescoes and mosaics recovered from the ruins of Pompeii, destroyed by the volcano Vesuvius in 79 AD. Particularly entertaining is the secret room with erotic art and um effigies of phallic symbols. Some outrageously big and others well a little disappointing! I had photos but……. these are once again kindly donated by Leah and Chantelle.

Pompeii
Never in a millions years did I ever imagine I would come to Pompeii yet here I am. The clickety clack old rattler train out to Pompeii is not very pleasant, neither are the fellow passengers but Pompeii itself is an absolute gem. A gorgeous little town with friendly people, a beautiful church and great shops all at a disconcerting closeness to Mount Vesuvius, a still active volcano. The remains of Pompeii are just off the main street. Our little group of 10 got our own guide which we quickly realised is the only way to see this place when you see people wandering around lost and ignorant. Our guide Alfredo was knowledgable and passionate and the two hours flew by. Right near the end is when my camera chucked its little tantrum so I backtracked and retook as many photos as I could. Particularly poignant are the plaster casts they took of bodies found in the ash. The children and the horses upset me especially. To put things in perspective they have been excavating Pompeii longer than Australia has been colonised. We got there early, a peaceful hour or so before the hordes of bus loads arrived. It is amazing what survived hidden under the ash and soil for nearly two thousand years. Pompeii’s obsession with phallic symbols and sexuality are still evident here too with giant penis symbols dotted around the place, especially near the building that was the local brothel. The crowds to get in to this dwelling were overwhelming so I gave it a miss.

After Pompeii ruins I wandered the town streets for a while and got waved into a cafe by the boyish charm of Salvatore the waiter where I was fed a delicious lunch of squid, prawn and mussel salad drizzled with lemon scented olive oil. Followed by free wine. I love it when they do that. Later that evening as we walk past his restaurant he raced out to declare his feelings. City of love! I only had eyes for this giant lemon.

**Around Naples and Pompeii I keep seeing chillies as jewellery and tourist symbols. They are very big on virility here and they see chilli as a talisman of that so of course I have to get one. In Pompeii I found chilli charms handmade with silver and red coral sourced from the Mediterranean Sea. When I go to select one from a bowl the shopkeeper insists I close my eyes and pick one without looking. Chance in matters of love and sex? Oh alright then. Inside the next shop I get a marriage proposal from the father of an unmarried son. Another companion gets invited on two dates. Maybe its the chilli. All in all a great day in Pompeii, the city of love. **

Vesuvius, the climb
Morning is the best time to do what turned out to be a very short climb. It is easy going through soft volcanic sand and pumice. The view over the bay of Naples is exquisite. The evidence of the not so long ago eruption is apparent by a sweeping stripe of barren land. We paid a little extra for a guide who gave us an impassioned and informative talk about Vesuvius history and the danger she still poses to the millions of people living beneath her slopes. Standing around one side of the rim is both exhilarating and unnerving as volcanic steam billows out making you very aware of just how active the volcano remains. Maybe it’s the volcano that makes everyone so passionate!! Living dangerously!

While it would be easy to stay and bask in the City of Love the sea is calling.
Ciao Pompeii
NEXT STOP SORRENTO

** CHILLI ALERT**
It turns out I am completely and utterly wrong about the chilli. I am ignorant and misinformed. Mike from Texas, my self appointed editor, critic and bringer of truth, justice and the American way has let me know in no uncertain terms the gross error of my ways. The aforementioned chilli is not in fact a chilli but in fact a cornicello or cornetto which means little horn. An amulet worn to protect against the evil eye and against being cuckolded by ones wife. Although that other font of irrefutable wisdom says that some Calabrese traditions (whoever they are) say it is a chilli. In any case I’m dreadfully sorry, pitifully ashamed and truly penitent. Thank you Mike. What would I do without you?

Rome Eternally, Oh the Humanity, Ruin ruins ruins

Oh the humanity!

Rome is a big place so this is a long post and I only saw a fraction of what the eternal city had to offer. Blimey!

Holy crap Roma Termini station is a wild place. Oh the humanity! If I hadn’t had some training in the metros of France and Spain it would have been too much for me. Instead I joined the throngs of peak hour commuters calmly and followed the signs to the right metro line, bought my ticket at the machine and arrived safe and sound at my B & B. There I met the friendliest door man in the world. For the next three days he and I carried out an unintelligible conversation. He in Italian, I in English and somehow we understood each other.

On my own again for a few days I opt for the citywide hop on hop off bus tour. I pretend the audio guide is my friend. The Barcelona one is still ways better. Go figure.

ABC
The church of churches Basilica di San Pietro – St. Peter’s Basilica
Easiest to get the another bloody church out of the way first.

San Pietro

White of white, holiest of holies, one really needs a good pair of sunnies to cope with the glaring whiteness of it all. Blessedly the queue is in the shade and though it is long it moves quickly. An entire tour group from China cut in front of me in the line and that sets the tone for my days in Rome. Not sure if it is my hobbit-ness or just the fact that I’m alone but it happened in every queue. Oh the humanity!

Michelangelo’s exquisite sculpture is the first port of call and there was nothing Christian about the behaviour of the masses as they shoved and pushed to take a look and a get picture. Oh the humanity! It’s worth it though, to stand in the presence of greatness. It is a truly powerful sculpture. The massive glass wall separating it somehow makes it less great and does make for crap photos.

Reputedly the burial place of the apostle Peter it is a massive church, built in the Renaissance within Vatican City. Magnificent ceilings, artworks galore, tombs, there is a lot to see for free. However the dome and cupola awaits. For a small fee you can walk or catch the elevator (lazy sods) to the dome. It is an easy yet long circular walk spiralling up the staircase. Easy peasy. You land on the roof, go up a few more steps and are then rewarded by a close encounter with tiled frescoes and a really high fence obscuring the view. I guess they don’t want any more martyrs on their books.

The climb to the cupola is a little different. OK a lot different. The narrow winding staircase this time is really steep and tapers on an alarming diagonal making you walk on a lean and it seems endless. Along the way exhausted and unfit ladies can be found sitting on window ledges catching their breath. Not me. Lungs bursting, the last few metres the staircase has a rope attached to help pull yourself up. Puffing for dear life and sighing with relief I emerged to one hell of a view. The whole of Rome is laid out before you, not to mention a birds eye view of Vatican City and its gardens.

The walk down is less dramatic. There is a gift shop on the roof and a special Vatican post box which I happily made use of.

Trevi Fountain – Water water everywhere
The popular myth is to throw a coin into the fountain over your shoulder and make a wish. It was a scene in a film and captured the imagination of the world. These days the Red Cross retrieve the coins for charity. Beautiful but not exactly tranquil.

A sea of people at the Trevi

The Spanish Steps
Travertine steps – all 135 of them, the widest staircase in the world. Not sure why that is such a big deal but it is pretty. It was boiling hot so the fountain at the bottom was the most popular place in town. I walked down, I walked up, nice view. Job done.

One of the coolest thing about Rome is the water fountains everywhere that have clean safe water to refill water bottles from.

RUINS RUINS ROMAN RUINS

Colosseum, Palantine and Forum

This is probably the worst queue experience of my life. Roma cardholders sauntered straight in and I eyed them enviously wishing I’d bothered to get one. This was a cattle class situation with hundreds of people waiting for too few ticket booths and I was cut in front of no less than 5 times. Oh the humanity! There was a separate queue for the audio guide which I feared might tip me over the edge so I passed and went without my imaginary electronic friend.

Once inside it doesn’t feel too full as you walk around this ancient backdrop of slaughter and mayhem. The signage inside is excellent and informative and when in doubt there are lots of guides giving tours to eavesdrop on for info. The collection of artefacts safely stored behind glass was thought provoking. It always humbles me to behold objects that are thousands of years old.

The tour continues with a walk over to the grounds of the Palatine, the Forum and temples. Ruins, ruins, more Roman ruins. There was a really disappointing garden area full of weeds, spent roses and un-mulched but I can always find a few good specimens.

Not entirely sure what this little darling is but definitely a myrtle with fragrant leaves very much like our Australian Backhousia Myrtifolia or Anisata. Just lovely

Campsis species
Woody perennial vigorous climber with trumpet flowers. A welcome show of red flowers.

I finished off another big day at a monument with confusingly three names. Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) and Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II). Phew. Another amazingly white edifice and locally called the Wedding Cake it was built to honour the king who united to Italy and ironically is the site where the pin up boy for fascism gave his famous speech rallying the people to his infamous cause. There is a museum inside and you can climb to the top for a view of Rome. I’d had about all the history I could handle and after climbing the cupola of San Pietro I was done.

Villa Borghese
My last day in Rome I visited this Villa. At the top of the Spanish Steps and Plaza Popolo this vast green space is more of a park than a garden. The one day I wear a skirt is a mistake because the most efficient way to get around here is on a hired bicycle. Lots of big trees but nothing particularly horticultural of note except for this poor old Pomegranate tree. Poorly pruned too many times it is misshapen and weak with branches breaking onto the lawn. It is the first double flowering specimen I’ve ever met though so I stayed awhile.

One of my favourite views. People asleep beneath trees. Ahh the serenity.!

Basilica S Maria degli Angelei e dei Marteri
The best ABC
My new favourite church just over the road from the main train station was an unexpected treasure. From the outside looking all rustic and small, on the inside spacious and warm. Like the Tardis! A beautiful mixture of religion, science and paganism is within. The church is atop a meridian and they have it clearly marked with the corresponding star signs. A entire wall is devoted to Galileo and his contributions to science with a working pendulum that he used to invent a method of keeping time. Decent of the church considering how they treated the poor man. It also contained one of the most eclectic collections of old and new sculptures and paintings. A must see.

THINGS I MISSED
The Sistine Chapel. Sacrilege I know. It’s closed on a Sunday, the day I had set aside. Hilarious. One must honour the sabbath in this crazy tourist town.
The Pantheon. No reason. Just too hot and lazy.
Keats museum at bottom of Spanish Steps, closed on a Sunday!
Everything else, there is so much to see but I’ll be back real soon.

In the absence of things to hug…..

NEXT STOP POMPEII

Losta in Aosta, Italy that is.

AOSTA ITALY

Aosta 583 metres –
A windy three hour drive brings us to Aosta, an alpine town near the more famous Mont Blanc. Aosta is officially in Italy but has borders with both France and Switzerland. I’d never heard of the place until now. As well as speaking Italian here they speak a mongrel tongue called Aostan French which is a little bit of both languages and very confusing. It looks and feels like Switzerland except for the temperature. A balmy 25 degrees. I’m getting my legs out – well at least my ankles.

Finally a planter with something in it, and huggable.

The appeal of this town was that we knew it had Roman ruins. Imagining that we would have to make a special trip to see them in especially preserved areas we discover instead they are just an everyday part of life here. The first lot we saw were a wall in the local car park. This town of Aosta has just built around and on top of the ruins. The locals walk by with barely a glance as if it is so ordinary, whilst we are in awe. Whole streets are lined with the ruins of the original wall of the town.

There are some ruins of course that are more carefully protected. The remains of the amphitheatre and the crypt underneath the cathedral are carefully guarded. The nice thing is that all the monuments within the town are completely free, even the museum which had a collection of artefacts from BC onwards. Outside the town are lots of castles with small cover charges to visit but as we only had one day here there was more than enough to see in the CBD area.

The ruins of the amphitheatre right in the centre of town

There was a sign but…..
Tourism in Aosta is not geared towards English speaking tourists. The Tourist Info Centre people can speak English but besides the Crypt that had a poorly worded brochure, neither the museum, the cathedral, the basilica nor any of the signs at any of the monuments had an English translation. Italian and French only. A shame because there is much I would have liked to understood. Thank the Internet for Wikipedia!

Intricate carving remains at the top of an old bridge

Dummies guide to history via Wikipedia. It turns out Aosta has been settled since way back when and was invaded by the Romans in 25BC. They do get around those Romans. Apparently it’s location at the confluence of two rivers and the end of the Little and the Great St. Bernard Passes means it was an important strategic point. It is one of those towns that has seen lots of wars and many changes of power over the centuries. The architecture therefore is a bit all over the place. Various towers around the city walls reflect the styles of the different ages adding to the incongruence but somehow fitting in perfectly.

ABC Sant’Orso

ABC – ANOTHER BLOODY CHURCH
I wish I could take credit for this but my mother and brother get the kudos for this most apt acronym. I sure have seen many ABC’s along the way and it isn’t going to stop anytime soon. If there is one thing Europe has it is a surfeit of churches and cathedrals. This town has more than a few but the main ones are the Cathedral 4th Century and the Basilica Saint Ursus (Sant’Orso) 6th Century. ABC.

ABC Cathedral

Then there are the ruins under the ruins. As in Spain where the Mosques were absorbed into churches, here whatever was before the Romans is underneath the cathedral. This beautiful mosaic is beneath the altar in the main cathedral. There was a sign but…..

PLANT FILES

Sambucus Nigra – Elderflower
Whilst this plant is used in the making of Sambucca it is not its only ingredient. The main one being the liquorice flavoured Anise, Pimpinella anisum. This tree with soft green leaves and white flowers is a popular small tree for the home garden. Adding to its appeal and to my never ending delight it is a new flavour in my favourite dark chocolate brand Lindt. I really hope they release this in Australia soon as I am going to get withdrawals. Seriously delicious. Mind you god knows my ever expanding waistline could do with a break.

Yummy yummy yum yum

Another beautiful specimen of Silver Birch

The rose love affair in Europe continues. Thriving and fragrant huge flowers

Linden Tree
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Tilia platyphyllos – Large leaved Linden Tree or sometimes known as Large leaved Lime Tree
This venerable old guy is about 480 years old. The town has gone to great lengths to save it. The trunk is having some trouble. There was a sign but…..

There is a similar species Tilia cordata, Small leaved Linden Tree or similarly sometimes known as Small leaved Lime Tree. As well as being beautiful ornamental trees both are used medicinally. The flowers especially are a useful tea but the leaves and wood are also used.

This is another Tilia I spotted at Kew Gardens in London fashioned into an espalier semi circle creating a tranquil garden room.

Piazza
Like Spain with its Plaza every town in Italy has its Piazza. Always vibrant community spaces.
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This main piazza is watched over by Mr and Mrs Neptune.

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Just to rub it in this is our accommodation. What a location!

Wine

The Aosta valley makes great wine. You read it here first. Drink up. Cheers!

NEXT STOP BRIANCON FRANCE

A few more pretty things

There can never be enough Geraniums

Whatever this was it smelt sweet

There can never be enough flower art on coffee too

CIAO

Ciao Como Ciao

Ciao Hello Ciao Goodbye Como. One word, so many uses.
Our time together was too short. Two nights was just not enough.

But first, just a one and half hours drive out of Switzerland and we drive through the Italian border with barely a glance from the guards. In such a short time we have dropped to about 500 metres and the landscape is immediately vastly different with an abundance of biodiversity. The first thing we spot is a wall of red climbing rose as bright and prolific as bougainvillea. I am immediately feeling much more at home in this vibrant, verdant landscape. It just oozes fertility.

We are in Italy so the only thing to do is stop for a pizza. We ended up in one of those restaurants that offer meal deals I grew to love in Spain. A pizza, a wine, a coffee and dessert for just 9 euros. The chef Daniele’ is very friendly and gives me a hot tip for a place to eat in Amalfi where his cousin works when I’m there in a few weeks time. Such a friendly people. Bellissimo. Love it.

They only have one size fits all pizza. This is for one!

Our accom is up one hundred metres of a cobbled path that neither my back nor my bag wheels are that happy about but totally worth it. We are staying in lovely simple rooms belonging to Luca and his artist wife Tiziona in a hillside apartment in a village called Blevio. From Bivio to Blevio. Everything is hilly here. There is pretty much no flat land except for right next to the water The view from our terrace of Lake Como are spectacular. The walls inside and out are adorned with paintings and mosaics all done by her. In the morning I see a snake but am not quick enough to photograph it. I didn’t even know they had snakes here. I spend a happy time wandering around smelling the roses, herbs and various other earthly delights watching out for snakes now.

A hazy day dawned and we headed down to the lake for a hop on hop boat tour. I’m in heaven as we sit in the village square waiting for the next boat. The Italian language is literally music to my ears. We order a wine and with it they deliver a platter of tapas sized snacks reminding me of Spain but more generous. This is my kind of country. The villagers are lounging in their chairs chatting with their arms gesticulating wildly, the kids are running wild going from accommodating person to person. Ok so I’m officially in love with this place. I want to learn Italian and live here forever. The village church even has a mosaic floor, fading frescos and strangely signs that tell you an alarm will go off if you go near the altar. I was tempted to find out whether it was true. Instead I do the pious thing and pop a coin in the box and light a candle.

The ferry stops at idyllic village after idyllic village all with names ending in ‘o’. Every village has a church and restaurants right on the water with the now ubiquitous red or pink geraniums on their fence lines. I want to come back and try every single one.

There was a funny moment on the boat where the name George Clooney buzzed around and we mistakenly got the idea he was on the boat. Apparently Georgieboy owns a house here and all the tourists love to take pictures of it. Poor fella, no privacy no matter where he is. I never found out which one it was but there were plenty of amazing houses for photo ops.

We stop at a posh little village called Bellagio and have an amazing lunch. I have a dish with three types of fish all from the lake. Sublime. We like the town so much we skip our final destination and wander around until it is time to catch the last boat home for the day. An awesome day out. I’ll be back.

Why walk down the steps when you can drive

A bit of local colour

Quaint but wheelie bag unfriendly cobbled path

NEXT STOP ZERMATT SWITZERLAND, home of the Matterhorn.

It is important to take the time to stop and smell the roses.