The Adventures of Bear and Butterfly

Wednesday 12^th September- Mum & Dad’s wedding anniversary- 37^th I think? Rome was our destination. We had arranged to see the Uffizi Gallery, but after breakfast we’d established that we were happy to leave Florence & check out Assisi on the way to Rome. Bodra & I were both quite fluey at this stage, & didn’t really fancy standing around sneezing on ancient artworks- the idea of a nice relaxing drive to Rome via Assisi was much more appealing… but couldn’t be further from the truth. I spent a good part of the journey holding on & searching in vain for a loo- it wasn’t until we were near Assisi that I was relieved in yet another grubby urine smelling hell-hole.

 

Assisi is a really beautiful, peaceful city in Perugia on the slopes of Mount Subasio. We had a perfect day as the sun was shining & blue sky prevailed. Unfortunately we weren’t feeling particularly snap happy that day & we failed to take a picture that captured Assisi’s beauty. After finding a park we had a good wander heading in the general direction of the Basilica di San Francesco. The walled lanes were all really tidy, with hanging baskets & pots of flowers, cats peering down at us, every abode looked inviting with their views of the plains stretching out to the horizon… Dad found his rosary there…

 

The Basilica is decorated with a multitude of murals depicting the life & message of St Francis. The remains of St Francis are guarded in the lower basilica but I didn’t spot them. It was quite dark there & I felt a bit sacrilegious having a perve around a place which I was not religiously affiliated to- I didn’t know what the areas were which I was looking at & I guess I felt curiosity isn’t a good enough reason to hang around holding up other people who may have spiritual endeavours. I also can’t relate to the interest in viewing an ancient grey tunic or sandals or a persons remains… why hold onto them when all they essentially are is dust?

 

I really enjoyed the artwork within the monastery but I was soon incredibly disgruntled by the walk back to the car as it was mostly uphill. Our journey towards Rome began again. We needed to get the car back & check in to our accomodation by a certain time so we were quite pushed, but had the optimism that we’d be able to make it.

 

Nothing could’ve prepared us for the confusion we were to face once in Rome. Actually, just trying to get off the highway & into the area of Rome we needed was nearly impossible. There were major constructions happening on the roads & we had to take quite a few diversions from our Google plan. Road names weren’t positioned in the most helpful places (we mostly couldn’t find them), one way streets appeared out of nowhere & there were masses of other drivers to be wary of- Bodra was driving whilst I was trying to navigate & we both had runny noses to contend with too. More like phlegm tidal wave.

 

After what seemed like hours of messing about Bodra found our Hotel, we de-bagged & checked in then Bodra & I proceeded to find Hertz. Again, it took much longer than we wanted but soon our worries were over as we were driven back to the hotel in a taxi.

 

We had a nice surprise for Mum & Dad as Bodra had pre-booked a special dinner for them at the Hotel Atlante Star. The restaurant was near the top floor of the hotel so they would be able to view the Vatican City whilst they ate! So we scurried them into dining attire & walked them over. Bodra & I found a somewhat cosy cafe for a quick meal then headed back to our hotel for much-needed rest.

 

The next morning we were up early & out the door, ready for our tour of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s. We had a group guided tour where we were given ear pieces so we could listen to the guide. He spoke too quickly for me so I ignored most of the talk & absorbed myself with the sights. Loads of marble sculptures of people & animals. Amazing tapestries, some made with golden thread- made from real gold. The chapel wasn’t as awesoime as I had imagined, but this was more to do with the fact that we were crowded in there with hundreds of other tourists, guards patrolling to make sure cameras weren’t used & to hush everyone. When you are surrounded by paintings, it becomes difficult to see them as individual works of art. I was most impressed by the painted-on curtains as they looked so real, I was wondering what was being hidden beneath them.

Vatican ceiling & a boys sarcophagus

 

St Peters held my precious Pieta behind a bullet-proof acrylic glass panel- after someone had attacked it in 1972 with an axe whilst shouting “I am Jesus Christ- risen from the dead.” They mustn’t have had much security back in those days. It was difficult getting a good photo as the glass reflected everyones flash, but we managed one.

Pieta

 

The rest of the Basilica was more of the same- but probably more exquisite than any of the other cathedrals we’d been to thus far. Being the traditional burial place of St Peter, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus & containing over 400 statues & 40 chapels, you can really get saturated with religious art here. I found myself becoming a bit blasé at this point- too much exposure & loads to marvel at with every glance. But something did grab my attention- the statue of St Veronica who apparently wiped Jesus’s face during the Way of the Cross. I was told her veil, which had an imprint of a bearded man upon it, was kept as a relic in the balcony above her statue. This is revealed to worshippers on the fifth Sunday of Lent. Odd.

 

I had a good close up look of one of the mosaics at the Altar of the Falsehood. The story behind this artwork is a bit bizarre- something about a married couple who had sold a piece of land & kept part of the money for themselves whilst giving the remainder to St Peter. I think they were meant to give all the money to him, but I guess times were tough back then & they decided to do this. Surely it was their prerogative to do so- if it was their land to sell? But St Peter found out & they were both struck down dead. & thus a religion of fear was born.

 

Once the tour was over Bodra & I retired to our room to sleep off our flu. The next morning we were up super early to meet our tour group. We chose to do a proper packaged tour through Bus-About for a few days to alleviate the driving & organisational strain. The group was mostly made of Australians & Kiwis so there was a good atmosphere. Our guide was Richie & as we travelled he shared heaps of interesting snippets about the area. The bus was quite comfortable & we had excellent views.

 

Our first stop from Rome was Pompeii- we saw Naples from a distance & weren’t that upset that we weren’t stopping there- very industrial, cluttered looking. We had a guide through Pompeii & walked around for about an hour & three quarters looking at the site. After seeing Hierapolis & Ephesus in Turkiye, Pompeii didn’t hold much allure for us- it just seemed do be a very dusty place with walls.

Pompeii ruins

 

Driving along the coastline towards Sorrento was absolutely thrilling- we are definitely water babies! Seeing the ocean brought back a great sense of home. We stopped just by a swimming area, looking down on it. The ocean is a fantastic turquoise colour but there wasn’t much sand to speak of. Decks like wharves were built out into the ocean, & strung between the decks were rows of plastic reclining seats. Initially I thought this was really strange but as there wasn’t much of a sandy shore it made sense.

Sorrento

 

The bus then dropped us off at Camping Santa Fortunata. Just as it pulled away I realised I had left our Venetian mask & a bag of soft tissues on the shelf above our seats. I was sure we’d get it back but quite upset at the idea of having to use rough tissue until it’s return. Our noses were quite tender from our colds.

 

Once settled into our accomodation we joined our group for a wander through Sorrento, a taste of Limoncello & then dinner at Il Leone Rosso (The Red Lion). Bodra & I had already had a taster of Limoncello- which is this liquer similar in appearance to sunlight liquid. We were quite happy with the cream Limoncello- we have brought a big bottle of it home & have guzzled half of it already…

 

After dinner we had a wander through Sorrento & caught the end of a Catholic procession through Tasso Square. We also saw some rugby at an English pub & a wedding group.

Santa Maria Procession

 

The following day we caught a ferry to the Island of Capri on the South side of the Bay of Naples- we had a fabulously sunny day for it & no fear of sunburn. Firstly we had a cruise around the Isle & experienced the famous blue grotto- Grotta Azzurra. This is a tiny sea cave where the sea appears to be lit from underwater so you can see this bright blue colour. There is another opening to the grotto, enturely underwater, which has a limestone bottom. Sunlight is allowed in which allows the water to be lit from below.

 

Getting into the grotto was a bit of a surprise (& a gouge). We were put into little row boats with a guide, who pulled the boat into the grotto using a chain fixed to the cave entrance. We had to lie down as low as we could go during the entry through the tiny space & then we were surrounded by the beautiful light. I really wanted to have a swim in the water, but when I tried to ask permission from the guide he ignored me. There were quite a few other boats in there & the guides all talked loudly amongst themselves, some singing. I just wanted to be quiet & enjoy the atmosphere- I should’ve jumped in, the water was very warm.

Into the Blue Grotto

 

We had a wee wander around Marina Grande & picked up some rolls for lunch- hard rock-like rolls, with yucky mozarella cheese. I just ate the olives, I couldn’t get my mouth around the husk of bread. I found a beautiful psychedelic shell for Michelle & the boys. Then we caught the furnicular to Capri town & made our way through the village alleyways to the Giardini Augustos. We could take in tremendous views of the coast below.

 

Then we had a hair-raising bus ride to Anacapri- the narrow road winds precariously up the cliffs & there are all sorts of crazy drivers willing to overtake on blind corners. From there, Bodra & I took a chair-lift to Mount Solaro- the highest point of the island. I was quite nervous hopping on the chair-lift as it is a single seat & it would’ve been quite easy to get a good swing on. Some parts were quite far above the ground too, with bone-breaking rocks beneath my dangling feet. Drink bottles, hats & shoes were amongst the many sacrifices to the Mountain.

Bus ride along the side of the mountains…

 

At the top I noticed as I gazed out that there was this line of grey cloud above the horizon- perhaps polution & what protects us from the UV rays? Bodra & I enjoyed a Peroni there & picked up a few postcards. There were a few Italian people singing & laughing which made me feel more positive & relaxed on the journey down.

The top of Mount Solaro

Another view from the top

 

On our last day of our tour we were to travel along the Amalfi Coast back to Rome. We were reuinited with our mask & tissues so were in a celebratory mood. Our first stop was the seafront town of Amalfi where we had bakery delight for breakfast. I found a wonderful fish tile for Michelle & the boys & Bodra found a supermarket selling M&Ms. We sat on the steps to the Amalfi Duomo while finishing off our breakfast, chatting with a couple from our tour- Juddy & Terence. Then Bodra & I headed down to the beach & had a swim. I was pleased to see little fishies in the water so I knew it wouldn’t be too polluted.

 

Back on the bus our journey continued inland & upwards towards the village of Ravello, which has reputedly the best views of the coast, 335 metres above sea level, high in the mountains. There is also a music festival held there every year where a stage is built overlooking the precipitous coastline. Richie told us about a Drugs ‘n’ Wine store so Bodra & I dashed there to do some wine tasting. We bought some very expensive & most delicious red wine & dessert wine which we are saving for a special moment. I’ve never had a wine experience like that before, where even the smell just warms you so much & tantalises your senses. I’d love to have a glass now, or maybe just a sniff…

 

We were driven through the back of Mount Vesuvius where Richie told us about the political situation in Italy & soon we were back in Rome, eager to get into our final accomodation. We were met by two guys who helped us with our baggage & showed us to our rooms- I was a little bit concerned as they were dressed rather casually & it felt like we were being taken to an apartment block. Trastevere Station ended up being the best B&B. The rooms were really clean, lovely ensuite & comfy matresses. Mum, Bodra & I went out for dinner- Dad wasn’t up to it so stayed behind. He didn’t miss out on much- my pasta was not cooked al dente & Mum & Bodra’s meals were fairly dismal.

 

The following day Mum & Dad let Bo & I sleep in so we didn’t see each other until the evening. We explored all over Rome, mostly by foot & were extremely tired by the end of it. There was an intention somewhere to take a hop-on hop-off bus tour but we weren’t in sync with the buses schedule. Bodra & I caught a Tram to Circo Massimo but got off too late. We tried to find some lunch but I couldn’t bare anymore of the Italian fare. I settled for a couple potato crisps.

 

We walked down the side of Circo Massimo, an ancient hippodrome (course for horse & chariot racing), then along the River Tiber which is quite polluted & smelly. This led us to Capitoline Hill where I had a good wander around the Piazza taking in the marble sculptures & Bodra tried to find some shade.

 

From here we soon found ourselves at the Vittorio Emanuele Monument which is an enthralling marble monstrosity shaped like a typewriter or wedding cake. I read the rules just before we went in- “It is absolutely forbidden: To throw rubbish or to dirty the monument- To eat or to drink- To sit or to lie down on the steps- To climb up the seat or the banisters- To make noise- To have a bad behaviour- To lead animals- To smoke.” Guards patrolled the area with whistles & every so often you would hear them blow. As I was taking pictures of the eternal flames flanking the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I heard the whistle coming near me, but it was Bodra being told off for sitting down- heheh!!

 

The view of Rome was pretty spectacular from the very top of Il Vittoriano- we rode an elevator to the topmost terrace & could see glimpses of domes & facades of the churches- the view to the South showed us the Colosseum, the Roman Forum (which holds the Basilica of Maxentius, the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Vesta & the Temple of Dioscuri), & the open grassy valley of Circus Maximus- the legendary setting of the rape of the Sabines & where chariot races would attract spectators by the thousands.

 

To the West we could see Michelangelo’s dome of the Vatican basilica next to the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums, the dome of St. Agnes in Agone in Piazza Navone with it’s two bell-towers, the Chiesa del Gesu` (Church of the Holy Name of Jesus), & the spherical vault of the Pantheon- the mausoleum of the first Kings of Italy.

 

To the North we could see the Trident- three streets of via del Corso, via Leonina (now Ripetta) & via Paolina (now Babuino)- Collegio Romano, the Column of Marcus Aurelius, the Flamino obelisk, the Piazza Colonna, Palazzo Bonaparte where Napoleons mother lived, the Trevi Fountain,& the statue of St Peter standing on the summit of Trajan’s column.

 

Next stop was the Trevi Fountain for an obligatory photo. There were swarms of tourists there so we didn’t get much of a gaze. Heaps of people flicking coins for luck.

 

We found ourselves at the Spanish Steps soon but they weren’t much compared to the marble typewriter. Our tummies were grumbling as it was the middle of the afternoon & I was yet to eat anything substantial, so the hunt for dinner was on. After getting some non-stick postage stamps from an unhelpful Italian woman at a magazine shop, we decided to use our Rome Lonely Planet to find tasty vegetarian food that wasn’t Italian.

 

I don’t know how many restaurants we tried & failed- the info in the book was already old so some of the restaurants were no longer there or changed hands. The first restaurant we went to- Margutta Vegetariano- wasn’t ready to serve food for another couple hours or so- we should’ve stayed there & just had drinks as it looked like a fabulous restaurant with a Jazz theme & vegetarian cuisine. But we were starving…

 

So we kept hunting- Naturist Club L’Isola, Le Pain Quotidien, Le Cornacchie, Surya Mahal…We walked for over an hour hunting for dinner all over Rome & we were defeated. We finally ended up at a nice enough restaurant serving Italian food (yuck!). I had a salad with walnuts & gorgonzola cheese in it… Bodra was happy…

 

Back to our B&B. Mum & Dad had had a similar day & ended up having chocolate for dinner.

 

Our final day in Rome we all decided to catch a bus out to Tivoli- 40km out of Rome. Our breakfast was served across the road from our B&B in a cafe- pain au chocolat & coffee. We caught a tram, metro then bus & soon we were far away from Rome- YAY!!! We soon oriented ourselves & found Villa d’Este which has landscaped gardens dedicated to fountains. Loads of space, no queues, just water, plant life & peace. Bodra & I saw a little lizard enjoying some sun. We found the Organ Fountain but it wasn’t performing… later on we heard it so rushed over to it but it was over before we got there.

 

We had a so-so lunch on the balcony of the Villa made better by the Peroni. Then on to Villa Gregoriana which was quite tricky to find without much of a map or any signs… but we got there! I’d been hanging out for this place- a park with waterfalls, grottos, chasms, green hills & the remains of the Temple of Vesta.

 

Back to Rome via bus. This took much longer than we thought possible due to crazy traffic where there are no rules, people just go when they can which means, no one goes. We went one kilometre in one hour… really insane.

 

Bodra & I were more resolute about finding satisfying dinner & had settled on Il Guru- an Indian restaurant. We were all very pleased to find it, we were pretty much the only ones there & had a wonderful meal & wine. Mum & Dad were really happy too. Afterwards we had a nice diverted walk back to the tram via the Colosseum lit up at night.

 

The next morning we were up before 5am I believe, pulling our bags to a taxi for the airport. We were back at our apartment in Reading before lunchtime without much stress at all.

 

Well- it has been pretty much a week of procrastination & this sentence is created in the afternoon. The day has been beautiful blue-skyed & there is always sun exploding through one of our many windows. I have found the allure of housework, YouTube & “The House At Riverton”over blogging as I know how immense the task in front of me has become- two weeks in Italy & one week in Ireland & I don’t want to skimp out on any detail either. Already I feel the forgetfulness of time seeping through my memory recess, things get muddled & you wonder did you say that or think that? Do that or dream that?

So, to Italy we go- although it was almost never reached. Before we left Reading station Mum relieved us of our lost luggage karma whilst we waited for our train to Gatwick. That dreadful, sick, panicked feeling waved through all of us for maybe 15 minutes once Mum had realised she had misplaced her small black bag- containing many travel enabling Euro’s & Pounds. Fortunately it had been left in the taxi which had taken us to the station & Bodra was able to have it retrieved before our train departed. Just one of those situations where you have too many foreign items to keep track of (perhaps one of those mischievous Irish imps had seen us as an enjoyable target?), & the obvious happens- this predicament reared it’s head again not long after…

Venice was our first port. The flight was fantastic as we got to watch the sun go down over the snowy mountains- pink sky at night! There wasn’t much to the airport, we found a taxi easily enough & were ‘gouged’ (to use one of Dad’s favourite expressions- NOTE TO ALL Dad has officially exhausted his ration of this word) by the meter as it went into hyper speed upon arrival at our hotel in Campalto.

Charme Inn- well, it didn’t exactly lack charm, nice enough décor, although our four bed room was actually just a room with a double bed in it, a single bed squished against the footboard & pretty much a camper stretch squeezed alongside the wall & the double. Very unusual, but it was fairly inexpensive. Mum & Dad generously gave us the Double…

Once our luggage was in we found a nearby restaurant & proceeded to swallow our Italian speaking shyness & communicate with the ‘others’. We quickly discovered that English was understood & they even had an English menu. However, even with my teaching experience I could barely decipher the scrawled meal descriptions & my decision was influenced by our waiters recommendation. Some sort of pasta dish (how bizarre in Italy!) with pumpkin- it looked disgusting but tasted delicious- sadly to become the best pasta dish I had- we were all satisfied with our meals that night & enjoyed a bottle of merlot wine too. We all slept rather soundly, that is- Mum & Dad made loads of sounds with their fluey snorting & snuffling- damn you Aeroplane Air Con!!

The following day was our time to explore Venice. But wait a minute- we weren’t even IN Venice! Campalto is a little ways out of the canal city so we needed to take a bus there. Cue me having to stammer to the newspaper agent- “Un biglietto per Venice per favore”- then realising I needed four tickets- doh! I had tried to be so perfect too!

Upon acquiring gigantic bottles of water we began our exploration through Venice. Along pathed walkways, over bridges, alongside canals, past churches & clustered homes & apartments, through crowds of tourists trying to digitally capture Venice… copper domed buildings with marble statues of naked heroic figures, curly-haired, mouth gaping male faces perhaps once acting as part of the drainage, speedy taxi boats gliding along the water, decorative gondolas attracting American tourists…

We visited the San Giobbe & Madonna dell’Orto Church, explored the Jewish Ghetto, viewed the Grand Canal from the Ponte di Rialto, hunted for the WC & found one at McDonalds, had yummy Gelatto & a slice of Pizza for lunch, joined the huge-ish line for the Basilica di San Marco (I had to wear an orange cloth to cover my legs whilst in the Basilica- heathen!), was awestruck by the golden mosaics, stopped at a bar playing strange music for our afternoon beer, joined the ABC tour at yet another Church- Santo Stefano, grudgingly devoured a yucky packet pasta meal in a Piazza, began the quest for the desired Ventian Mask (& found it in Ca’Macana Venizia). Rest became rather appealing as the evening light began to fade so we caught a crowded boat ride to the Central station & made our way back to Charme Inn.

After a breakfast of yoghurt, croissant & coffee (not for Bo & I- he settled for juice whilst I had a Cioccolata calda- hot chocolate- more chocolate than liquid!), Dad drove us from Venice to Florence. Just a few directional hiccups along the way, nothing TOO stressful (easily said by the back seat passengers!). Italy has crazy traffic, crazy roads, cars moving & parked in any which way all over the road. & then there is the fact that the motorcyclists & drivers follow their own rules.

That afternoon Bodra & I had a deceptively tasty Margherita Pizza & beer combo at our Florence accommodation- Camping Michelangelo. (We tried to repeat the success of this meal later on during our stay there but it was far from tasty then. Amazing how ravenousness can imbue flavour when there is naught!) Our friend, Chantal, & an article Mum had read, guided us to these grounds & we were all quite pleased. Our abodes were these wooden floored, canvas house tents with beds- Mum & Dad in one, Bodra & I rescued from there snores at last! There is a restaurant/bar area which apparently turns into a disco at night- we heard it but didn’t participate.

Now to take in Florences sights! We viewed our first ‘David’ at Piazzale Michelangelo, & took in the bridges over the canal & Florence (Firenze) city. As we walked into the city we had a good giggle at the sun-bathers in bikinis alongside the polluted Arno canal. Absolutely mesmerized by Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore & Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile)- they reminded me of a giant sized jewellery box.

We saw our second ‘David’ outside the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall of Firenze)- we didn’t get around to seeing the original at the Uffizi as the queues were ginormous the day we tried & didn’t appear to be moving. To jump the queue was too extravagantly priced. But we had our fair share of artistic delight- especially at the Loggia dei Lanzi where we could see Perseus holding the blood trailing head of Medusa, the Rape of the Sabine Women, Hercules Beating the Centaur Nassau & the Rape of Polyxena… pretty unsettling topics for sculpture, but amazing examples of how a block of marble can capture the beauty of form.

We strived to find somewhere to cater for our tastebuds that evening (a soon to be familiar theme for this trip)- Mum nearly ended up with a plate of spinach for dinner!

The following day Mum wasn’t up for much so Bodra, Dad & I went for a wander without her. I was set on seeing Michelangelo’s Pietta which I had suddenly remembered was on my list of things to do before I die (I don’t really have a list). I was unclear as to exactly where in Italy it was but figured it must be close to the Uffizi. In my rough guide I discovered it was at the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo so we went there. I raced through the museum, disinterested in all the exhibits- glassy-eyed Madonna & Donatello’s haggard wooden Mary Magdalene were no match for Pieta! But to my displeasure, I found out that the Pieta there wasn’t the one I was after (who knew he did three sculptures entitled Pieta!).

Dissatisfied, we then punished my ignorance by climbing up the 414 steps of the Campanile (Bell Tower). The view from the cage at the top was good although crowded. Patience was required as we made our way down, stopping for climbers.

For our afternoon beverage we stopped at an Irish Pub for some Guiness & Rugby- South Africa vs Samoa I believe. We didn’t stay for the entire game as Samoa was being nailed…

On Monday we decided to go see the Chianti region of Tuscany. We stopped at Greve first to pick up some fruit, then onwards to Pisa! Restaurant lunch was forgoed in favour of a yummy picnic of tomato, cheese & chips on bread whilst sitting on the grass admiring the view of the Basilica, Duomo & Campanile. We wanted to go up the Tower but were unable to, as the next group going up wasn’t until later in the afternoon. Tourists doing the obligatory “Look! I’m holding up the Tower!” pose cheapened the tower experience. Instead, we were more content to admire the Cathedral & the Basilica.

Next stop was Lucca- a quiet city surrounded by a Renaissance wall. We had a good random wander through & found a Pharmacy where I acquired some throat lozenges. A church was soon found- San Michele in Foro- & Gelato. There was also this strange paper sculpture exhibit happening in one of the Piazza’s.

That evening we were lucky enough to have a yummy dinner looking out to Florence from Viale Michelangiolo. Lovely Pizza, Pasta & Wine!!! Wahoo!!

On Tuesday Dad drove to Siena & suffered much stress after trying to find a parking spot, finally squeezing through very close rows of cars. It was pretty insane how tightly people parked & it was obvious from the number of cars with scraps & dents that it was more important to get the park rather than be concerned about the appearance of your car.

We went to the scallop-shaped piazza il Campo, where the Palio bareback horse race takes place. Not whilst we were there. We stopped at a ’60’s inspired pub where we enjoyed a sandwich, then I found a yummy Gelato in the piazza.

Then, a long-ish walk along cobbled roads uphill in the shadows of the buildings. Our landmarks were obscured by the towering buildings & our orientation was skewed due to me doing a little bit of non-instinctual leading “This looks pretty, let’s go there!”

Next stop was the beautiful hill-top village of Volterra, enclosed by volcanic hills midway between Siena & the sea, where Alabaster Rock is found. Definitely a place I would like to re-visit one day if I ever get to Italy again. It felt like you could take the entirety of Italy in one sweeping glance.

Through Volterra we viewed the ruins of a Roman Amphitheatre & the excavation of an Acropolis. We drove to the other side of Volterra (where I’d like to camp one day) & viewed where part of Volterra had eroded.

Our final stop for the day was the small medieval village of San Gimignano to view the remaining 13 of the once 72 Towers. Bodra had a restaurant in mind so we made our way there only to find it was closed for the day. Closed on a Tuesday! How bizarre! Instead we had to find dinner enjoyment at Enotera il Castello- which was not up to scratch as I found a long black hair in my vege soup. Ewww!

Dessert was more satisfying- I had a yummy Champagne & Grapefruit flavoured Gelato at Gelateria di “Piazza”- reputedly the best icecream in Tuscany. Bodra bought me a lovely necklace from a curly-haired lady selling her crafts outside the city gates.

It’s nearly 12 hours later from when I started- this hasn’t been continuous work!  I’ve had a couple movies in between & dinner & dessert… but it’s after 4am on a Saturday morning…  France vs NZ this evening!