Shannon and Katie - Europe 2014 adventure

Purrfection

2014-09-29T22:12:00.002+02:00

How lucky to be spending a birthday in Rome - my most favourite city in the whole world. Yes in the whole world! There is just something very special about the place.
It's even hard to describe in words - I think it's the combination of old and new. It's the fact you can walk around a corner and be faced with a building so incredibly old. There are surprises around every corner...restaurants, bars and cafes fighting for your attention...fountains, parks, gardens...gelati, cornetti and the best coffee in the world. So I woke up excited to be spending my birthday and last day of an amazing holiday with Shannon, in Rome. I was a little spoilt with some lovely presents...a gorgeous clock I can't wait to hang, some pretty glass earrings, an Italian map charm for my Pandora bracelet and a tiny Pinocchio to remind me of Rome.

Throwing a coin in the Trevi to ensure a return some day.

We decided to head out for breakfast for a change. I had found a great place online the night before that served a cooked breakfast, quite a rarity in Rome and Italy in general, where the norm is a coffee and a pastry. However when we got there, we realised it didn't open until 10am. We were hungry and weren't going to wait an hour and a half! So McDonalds it was! A bacon and egg muffin and hash-browns did quite nicely for a birthday breakfast. I had chosen a couple of places I wanted to see today and Shannon had a few things in mind too. Our first stop was Campo De Fiori - a lovely piazza that hosts a market where the locals buy their produce and fresh flowers. I have read this used to be quite the traditional market, but with tourism has changed to accommodate the throngs of people passing through daily. While there were still fresh produce stalls to look at there were also souvenirs, kitchenware, limoncello in all sorts of bottles and multicoloured pasta.

We sat at a lovely cafe and had a coffee and pastry and watched the people bustling about. Fuelled up, we wandered the streets and stopped by the turtle fountain and cat sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to many cats, which sits upon some ancient ruins. The cats are well cared for and survive on charity.

The turtle fountain

Pussy

As you may have read in previous posts, we have become quite good at catching the bus. We headed to the Trastevere neighbourhood. It is an area highly populated by students and is said to be trendy and the home to many eateries. We were clearly there at the wrong time of day, because most things were closed, but we stopped in an open cafe for a cold drink and stumbled upon a beautiful basilica.

Inside the basilica at Trastevere

On the bus again, we went up a huge hill (Janiculum) for sweeping views over Rome. A cold beer and toasted sandwich with the pigeons in the shade, was enough for lunch, before boarding the bus once more.

On top of Rome!

Waiting for the bus

Shannon had a little secret place up his sleeve. We walked in to a tiny shop and I laid eyes on the most beautiful cakes and pastries I'd seen. Everything is paid by weight. We chose two little pastries each and the four items cost less than a couple of dollars! Hhmm I wonder if they are open later...! We topped the afternoon off with a coffee at the cafe we had visited the other day and drank at the bar like Italians, before heading back to our accommodation for a rest and to pretend we don't have to start packing. But as they say, "all good things must come to an end." We will get stuck in to the packing later this afternoon and probably have an early dinner.

Hanging out with my mate Pinocchio.

Tomorrow - Arrivederci Roma!

Security, careful it can be thorough.

2014-09-28T22:30:00.001+02:00

After a sleep in and realising we were a little tired, it was unanimously decided to reschedule the visit to Tivoli and in particular the Villa d'Este. This would have been a lovely excursion but would have needed an hours train ride and then basically a day on the stair master as it has many steps.

So we caught up on the laundry and while that was happening the maintenance man arrived to have a look at the dishwasher. We reported it not working on Friday night as it just made wiring noises and when the drain was pulled on the sink, water would leak from under the dishwasher.

After no more that five minutes he also had water leaking onto the floor and another five minutes he turned to us and said "kaput, do not use" along with some "ItalGlish".

With the rescheduling of the Tivoli day (to 2016?) it was decided to catch the bus (did I mention we are experts at this now?) and head off to the National Museum of Rome. This time our bus was air-conditioned and had a couple of spare seats. However, before long the local Italian Grandmother Association must have been alerted of Australian tourists sitting on a bus and were all ready at the next stop. Once boarded we promptly gave our seats to them.

The Museum was quite good, in fact they are so concerned about the artefacts, they have in house security with x-ray for bags and body scanner, just like the airport. We placed our bag on the x-ray scanner and the operator pressed a button, without even looking up from his smartphone. The bag passed through the scanner to the other end and he still hadn't looked up from his phone to check the contents on the screen. We then proceeded through the body scanner one by one and both of us set the alarm off, neither had taken coins, cameras and phones out of our pockets. As the security guards hadn't responded to the alarm or looked at the screen of the bag being x-rayed, we collected the bag and entered the museum.

The Museum contained many mosaics and these were just fascinating.

The evening was left to the magic of tourists invading the Spanish Steps or as we overheard one American call them, the 'Spanish Stairs'.

Shopping, night and day

Tomorrow - 32

The other Rome.

2014-09-27T22:19:00.000+02:00

Ever wondered what is outside the central area of Rome? Is there anything past The Vatican, Colloseum, and Trevi Fountian? Today we wondered this question, and it was also one of the reasons why we chose to stay in Rome for 6 nights, to at least spend one day exploring the other Rome.

We thought one way to do this would be go to a shopping mall to see the real people going about their lives, without answering the needs of every day tourists. So we boarded the bus to Porta di Roma shopping centre. This is on the outskirts of the city just inside the ring road and is one of the few large centres. The bus ride was interesting. The ride took one hour, and wound its way from Trevi fountain area in a general north east direction.

Initially we passed areas similar to where we are staying but without the souvenir shops and constant gelato. Then it changed. There were more and more nine to twelve story condominiums and the conditions were not good. It appeared that at one time these large areas would have once been nice, but now it is not somewhere we would like to get off the bus. We don't know why the conditions were like they were, could it be government cutbacks, we didnt know.

The areas had more grafitti, long grass, and rubbish than was expected, with many of the childrens playgrounds being unsafe, dirty and a genreal appearance of being broken.

At the end of our hours bus ride and seeing this different side to Rome we were happy to dissembark and see a practically brand new shopping centre. With over 220 shops it was pretty big, but nowhere as big as some we have seen in Melbourne. There were many clothes, jewellery and perfume shops along with a share of food and a large cinema.

We wondered the two floors of shops for a few hours and saw what we wanted to see. Normal, non tourist effected Rome. There were no pushy men trying to sell counterfit bags or watches, the teenagers were being stupid just as they are in Australia and families were browsing and the parents telling the children no to everything they selected.

After our shopping fix, we returned to the main area but not without a detour to the Giardino Zoologico, or Zoo. Still on track with doing as the locals do, this place was not filled with Americans, Australians or any tourists for that matter. Well it may have had Italian tourists but they all looked local to me. Once again we saw the Roman way of life in fact there was one event I will mention Katie and I saw while we were taking a rest and cooling off with a gelato.

We saw two couples each with a three year old child. The mothers were walking with the children and the fathers pushing the empty prams. As they were walking along the children and women were distracted by an animal in its enclosure. Somehow at this point both of the men realised this distraction and they were no longer the main attraction in the womens eyes. With a blink we saw them both fast step along the path and as if synchronised divers parked the prams with a push against the wall. Both Katie and I were interested in what had grabbed there attention like a piece of iron to a magnet, so we hopped up and discreetly walked around the corner to see the Bar.

Bars are different in Italy, they sell many things from gelato to sandwiches along with soft and hard drinks. Within less than one minute the men were back outside both with a bottle of water, from our observations we can't be sure but we suspect they may have ducked in for a quick Grappa or two and were using the bottled water as a cover.

After this we had a look around the Zoo, here are the highlights.

Katie loves elephants

And some evening shots, can you guess where dinner was?

Rome street at night

This is out the front in the street we are staying, our building door is the green one to the right of PANE

Tomorrow - Stair master

There is a Gecko in my house.

2014-09-26T21:53:00.002+02:00

Today we toured the Testaccio area of Rome and sampled many of the local delights with Eating Italy Food Tours

The menu consisted of -
Shop - Food item (english translation)
Barberini - Cornetti (crosant), Tiramisu (coffee-flavoured Italian dessert)

Volpetti - prosciutto di San Daniel, salame al Barlo (two types of meats) pecorino al tartufo, parmigiano reggiano (two types of cheeses)

This shop has over 400 different cheeses.

Our guide, Tiana

Volpetti Piu - Pizza Margherita (best pizza i've had this trip)

Just a small sample

Testaccio Market - bruschetta al pomodoro (tomatoes on toasted bread) insalata caprese (mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil), cannoli (pastry desserts)

Piping Cannoli

Flavio Al Velavevodetto - cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper pasta dish), amatriciana (traditional tomato and pasta), carbonara (traditional Italian style - no cream)

00100 Pizza - suppli alla genovese (street food similar to arancini balls)

Giolitti - gelato (two flavours from fourth generation business)

So as you can imagine after this tour we needed to do some walking, so it was off for a walk through the Roman Forum.

My new 7 Euro sunglasses

The afternoon was getting a little warm and there is nothing worse than being in the sun in Rome. We caught the bus back to our accommodation and rested for a couple of hours.

Around 6pm we felt ourselves being pulled from the room and out into the streets. This is a tradition in many Italian cities known as la passeggiata (the walk). Between 5 and 8 pm the streets are filled with local couples, families and in fact everyone. It is an opportunity to see what people are wearing, but more importantly for Italians, it gives them the opportunity to be seen.

Spanish Steps

Spanish Steps, under those people.

One last item of note, we are actually sharing our fourth floor apartment with a local. It was unexpected but we are coming to terms with it. His name is Giuseppe, and he is a Moorish Gecko and is apparently quite common in this area.

Giuseppe, the Moorish Gecko

Tomorrow - The sun will rise, the sun will set

Jingle Jingle

2014-09-25T23:28:00.003+02:00

We made it, we finally made it into the Colosseum. Checking the map it was going to be a 1.6km walk, so with the help of Google maps on the phone we were able to successfully and easily use the bus to get to the Colosseum.
But as promised...a few snaps below of our "quirky" accommodation:

View from our room

Our kitchen and living area

Demonstration of how close the ceiling is

To ensure we weren't going to miss our reserved tour, we arrived about an hour early, this gave us time to find the correct entry and meeting point of the tour.

The tour we chose was directly through the government agency that operates the building and with this tour we were given access to see under the arena and also up onto the third tier. Getting access to these areas was great and gave us a good understanding of the history, however the tour was a little long and the guide also covered may things that we believe most visitors should already know, so at some times it was a little boring.

The afternoon was spent having a "Grande Caffe" at Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè, basically a large espresso that is made in a secret way. This caffe was very busy and also very Italian, queue at the cashier, place order with the cashier, get a receipt, queue for the barrister, hand over receipt, wait for coffee. It was one of the best espressos we have had and there is a very good chance we may be back tomorrow!

Next was a little surprise for Katie the Elephant at Piazza della Minerva

Followed by a visit to the Pantheon.

The evening was spent at a very typical Roman restaurant Armando al Pantheon. A lovely place and once again very local. It is a family business, however was a little on the expensive side, but as they say, when in Rome.

Finally it was Jingle Jingle time. On our first tour in 2010 we noticed many African men in Paris selling miniature Eiffel towers, Katie gave them the name Jingle Boys as this was the sound they made as they walked around carrying the souvineers. So now we are in Rome there are no Eiffel towers but there are the African men and this time they are selling handbags, watches, laser pens, all counterfeit along with poles to hold your phone to take selfie photos, ponchos, umberellas, sunglasses. These guys are always on the lookout for police as we understand they're not allowed to sell products in this way. However it does make some interesting people watching, with the tactics and also the methods the tourists use to get away.

Tomorrow - Please, Sir, I want some more.

All roads lead to Rome.

2014-09-24T20:30:00.002+02:00

Today saw the end of our week in beautiful Tuscany and the start of our week in Rome - my favourite city. Last night we had a drink with our fellow La Maesta guests to say goodbye and this morning were farewelled by Rosalinda, Stefano, Lilla and Virginia. A beautiful family who have become special friends. Stefano drove us to the train station and we were on our way.

Shannon and Alan

Shannon and Billy the cat

Me with the lovely Lilla

We've become quite familiar with travelling on trains and the quirks that are involved. Purchasing tickets...validating tickets...finding the right platform...train...coach...seat. We had purchased first class tickets for today's trip - it was a 2 and a half hour journey and usually first class provides more comfortable seats and air conditioning. We were annoyed to find there was no first class coach!

The trip was entertaining however. We had a couple sitting across the aisle from us. The gentleman had on a rather large pair of headphones and was clearly enjoying his music, because he decided the rest of us on the coach needed to hear it too. He was singing along so passionately we couldn't help but laugh. We couldn't sing along with him because he wasn't singing in English or Italian, but Chinese! Every now and then he'd pass a headphone to his wife who would then start to clap and dance along to the music. It was pretty funny and made a boring train trip go a little bit quicker.

We arrived in Roma Termini station - a shock to the system after a quiet week away from the crowds. We were swept up in the bustle of people coming and going, like ants on a mission to find the nest. We blew out of the station and began the journey to find our accommodation. Like most city's in Europe, Rome's Metro is user friendly, so we were able to buy tickets and get on the underground train quite easily. We had decided this time in Rome to book an apartment, to get a feel for what it's like to live in the hustle and bustle of the big city. We are literally around the corner from the Trevi Fountain (which is covered in scaffolding at the moment while under restoration) and are surrounded by restaurants and souvenir shops selling everything under the sun. The apartment is so quirky. It's a tiny little place on the fourth floor of an old building. The lift is that small that only two people can fit in it at a time. Or, as we discovered, one person and two suitcases! Photos to come of the strange angles on the roof and poky little bathroom! We had a relaxing afternoon reading and a little planning. We ventured out to the local supermarket to get breakfast supplies and some snacks and decided to do some washing.

First walk through Rome this afternoon.

Even though the apartment owner provided a step by step guide in a booklet with pictures on how to use the washer/dryer, we're still not sure how our clothes are going to come out in the end. They have literally been in the machine now for 4 hours...yes you read correctly! First we got it going but then the water wasn't flowing. Then the wash cycle took forever...we thought we had it on the dry cycle...but...well it's still cranking away. At this rate it might be done before we go to bed...watch this space!

We decided we needed a break from restaurants and were both craving a burger...so Burger King it was! We then enjoyed a gelati and a beautiful sunset.

Tomorrow - The Colosseum - third time's a charm.

Wind, Wine & Walking

2014-09-23T21:13:00.001+02:00

Final days, there have been a few but today was our last day touring Tuscany. Once again we have been spoilt by LaMaesta and the hospitality. However this time it was also made special by Marg, Alan and the artists.

Many memories will be taken from this part of our trip and we feel privileged to have been able to share this short time with Rosalinda, Stefano, Lilla and Virginia.

Today was a day of new places and we were in the front of the pope mobile with the Canadians in the back and Stefano at the wheel. The Artists were in the van with Rosalinda. Our first stop was on route to Montalcino where we needed to wait for the wagon to catch up after a fuel stop.

Pope Mobile

Stefano was able to show us the many types of outdoor cooking appliances from the car window whilst we had our short wait.

Italian BBQ Centre?

Our first real stop was walking the top of the walls at Montalcino. It was a spectacular view but we couldn't believe the wind that was blowing, if it was much stronger I think they would have closed it to us tourists!

Montalcino

A little windy.

Montalcino

Next stop was out of town and to Abbey of Sant'Antimo where we were provided a short (about 15 minute) chanting and singing session.

Returning back to Montalcino we stopped off for some lunch and had a tasting of the Brunello di Montalcino red wine. This was the most lovely wine we both have ever tasted.

Time for new ones?

Katie, Alan and Jenny

Next stop was the hilltop town of San Quirico D'orcia, some time was made for some Gelato, but as it was mid afternoon most shops were unfortunately closed.

We love interpretive signs.

This evening was spent at LaMaesta where we have made our own dinner from some fresh frommagio, pasta and prociutto and tomato sauce.

Our final Tuscan sunset for 2014.

Tomorrow - All rails lead to Rome

Happy Anniversry Baby - Cortona and Arezzo

2014-09-22T23:11:00.003+02:00

Cortona, made famous by Under The Tuscan Sun and many other things of course, was our first destination today. As in the past we were transported in the black pope mobile, however this time we were with the Canadians Kerry and Kathy.

A 'La Maesta' at the back of our accommodation titled La Maesta

Starting at the top along side the Church of Santa Margherita, we followed a different route down this time, rather than taking the pilgrimage route we went through the steep streets of the town until we reached Piazza Garibaldi and Via Nazionale. This street Via Nazionale is also the only flat street in the town all others are on an incline of up to 40 degrees.

Photos never show how steep a path is.

This rock is fitted in the corner to stop men urinating, if they do it will run onto there shoes.

This lady was having a conversation with her neighbour, by shouting at her one floor below.

We wandered the streets and made a few souvenir purchases for the kitchen at home.

We decided to have lunch at a place that had lovely views. Walking in we spoke to the waiter and he advised the kitchen opens in 20 minutes but we could have a drink and wait. That sounded good to us, so we took a table along the rail overlooking the Tuscan countryside.

At 12:20 he gave us the menus and as we placed our order we advised we would need to be out of the place by 1pm as our bus was coming then. He said no problem the kitchen will cook fast. To make things easy we went non Italian and both chose the hamburger.

It was around 12:50 and we started to get worried as the meals had not arrived, after gesturing to the waiter he indicated it was coming.

Waiting

Waiting...

Well by 1pm time was up our bus from LaMaesta had arrived, the Canadian couple were waiting and we didn't have lunch on the table! At this point we decided we weren't going to be walked over and went to the bar. We advised the waiter we would be leaving and as the meals had not arrived as promised we would like to pay for the drinks. Then with a whir and a ding the "dumb waiter" behind him opened and the hamburgers appeared. Standing our ground and knowing people were waiting on us in the piazza, we refused the hamburgers (which looked lovely) and asked for the bill of the drinks. The waiter jumped on the phone and we could tell he was giving the kitchen a blast. He returned the handset to the telephone and could not apologise enough to us, he even offered them as takeaway.

In the end we asked to just pay for the drinks, he said no need to pay as the restaurant had made a mistake and the drinks were free, no need to pay. We then said thank-you and goodbye and within moments were in Rosalinda's van being whisked to the house where the Under the Tuscan Sun story as based on.

The afternoon was spent in the town of Arezzo, taking in the sights.

Piazza Grande

Parco della Fortezza Medicea

View from Parco della Fortezza Medicea

Arezzo Flag

Tomorrow - Montalcino, final day in Tuscany.

The unexpected is often the best

2014-09-21T17:42:00.001+02:00

After a busy morning being booking officer to the Uffizi Gallery for the Australian art group staying at LaMaesta, it was time for us to hop into the Pope Mobile and head onward to Siena.

The artists were in the van with Rosalinda at the wheel and we were in the back of the family car with Stefano driving and the Canadian's Kerry and Kathy in the front. It was about 40 minutes into the trip of about one hour that Katie had a case of car sickness. Unfortunately we weren't able to stop in time so the Canadians jumped in with the Artists and Rosalinda, while Stefano turned us around and we returned to LaMaesta.

It was the next unexpected event that we will place as a highlight of this trip.

After freshening up we went down the hill and found Stefano cleaning out the back of the car, offering assistance, which he wouldn't take we then played with the cats and tried to make conversation with Virginia. Rosalinda's mother Lila then appeared and with many hand movements and "non capisco" (I do not understand) we came to the realisation she was offering us a sandwich of cheese and salad.

We continued to sit around until we were called into the confines of Lila's domain, the kitchen! To our surprise there was no cheese and salad sandwich, but the kitchen table set with plates, bowls, knives and forks. We had been invited to lunch with the family, Lila, Rosalinda, Stefano and Virginia.

Lila was making a basic risotto, boiling arborio rice in water and olive oil, which we then placed on top as much parmigiano reggiano cheese as was needed, for flavouring. Next was some of the lovely sliced beef from last nights dinner with a fresh salad direct from the garden and finally cheese and bread; not just one cheese there were about five massive blocks we were to carve into and enjoy.

Lunch was simple, homely, friendly, relaxed, delicious, fresh and memorable. There was laughter, and conversations in both Italian and English as well as Ital-glish.

From our window

In the afternoon we spent some time in the pool. Why is the pool always so cold when you first get in??

270 degree view from our balcony

Tomorrow - More of the unknown.

Orvieto and Italian trains

2014-09-20T23:17:00.001+02:00

An early start was needed to get the train at 7:55 to Orvieto, about an hours ride south from Castiglion Fiorentino.

We are becoming quite good now at purchasing tickets on the automated machine and following signs in the station to the correct train.

The ride was uneventful, apart from being on the coldest carriage ever, which in a way was not bad as it is very warm and humid here currently.

The train station at Orvieto is not actually in the town, as the town is perched on a hill there is no way for the tracks to be lied.

The only way is to transfer to a Funicular that expresses you up the side of the mountain.

The town has a number of attractions of which we went to. These were, the town itself, the monumental Cathedral of Orvieto, underground tunnels, and Museo Archeologico "c. Faina"

The cathedral was very impressive from the outside the front facade was covered with numerous mosaics and also many carvings into stone. Normally when a cathedral is this spectacular from the outside it is quite bland inside, however this was not the case.

We entered the cathedral and were both gob-smacked by the beauty, there were numerous works of art and much of the walls were painted with religious scenes.

Next was the underground, basically the hilltop is compressed volcanic ash, and is very easy to dig. The caverns were dug as initial residences then over time were expanded and the soil used to create the homes on top. So now all or most homes have a cellar. We were able to view two that are publicly owned and tours are run through. The tour guide was great and very informative.

Lunchtime we used our best friend TripAdvisor to look for a restaurant and found a lovely family owned place away from the crowds. Thankfully the menu was in English at the back but when our waitress read the daily specials it was all in italian. We picked up some words like formaggio, pasta, primi, secondi and bianco (cheese, pasta, first course, second course, white). So not being able to order from the special menu of the day we were able to make some selections from the menu, and we were impressed, and pleased we took a little time to find the little treasure.

Finishing off Orvieto we walked the streets, had a Gelato, and took in some of the vistas.

To be sure we never miss a train we always get to the station a little early, in this case it was about 20 minutes early. We stamped our tickets and then looked on the screens for our train. It was at this point we realised it was Ritardo 50 (delayed 50 minutes). There was nothing that could be done than have a cold drink and ice cream.

Tomorrow- Siena

Umbria - A change of scenery

2014-09-19T19:00:00.000+02:00

Perugia is the capital city of the Umbrian region in central Italy and also was the city which welcomed us today.
Leaving around 9:45 just over 50 minutes later we were in the outskirts of the city boarding the MiniMetro. The smallest and train driver less system was installed to overcome some of the traffic issues in town and with a train at each station every 90 minutes, it is a quick way to get into the city.

On the MiniMetro

Our first stop was the city red bus, and were we in for a ride! Over the next 55 minutes we were jostled, bounced, tossed and tilted over the streets of this town. As with all hill towns the streets can be very steep and narrow, so the only option was to run a small 19 seat bus with an open roof. While a bit scary at times, it saved us walking a long way! Much squealing came from Katie and Dani (a fellow guest at La Maesta) as we swerved parked cars, wound our way down hills and all at a pace we didn't think was fit for the narrow streets!The trip had audio guide, but with the speed we were doing down some of the inclines it was more like a roller coaster.

After stepping off the bus at the end of our ride, we had a look at the old Etruscan underground city and then a little lunch.

After which we then tried to do a little shopping, but found most of the smaller shops closed. The wallet didn't mind! We enjoyed a little gelati, as we were having withdrawals - a couple of days without it, how could we survive?! Rosalinda collected us and we picked up our other fellow guests on the way home. A group of 6 who are staying here, are on an art trip painting around Tuscany. Some of their work is beautiful. Looking forward to another delicious meal tonight prepared by the beautiful Lilla.

One of the cats at La Maesta

Tomorrow - Back on the rails - Orvieto

Under the Tuscan sun

2014-09-18T21:53:00.000+02:00

Who would have thought we'd be hungry for breakfast this morning after the feast Lilla put on for us last night? But we both woke hungry and looking forward to our first day out and about in Tuscany. Last night was our first dinner at La Maesta and Lilla's food was every bit as good as we remembered. We started with Pesto Lasagne, Turkey with beautiful green beans and creamy mashed potato for main and panna cotta with a warm raspberry sauce for dessert. Of course the wine was flowing and Stefano managed to talk us in to a grappa (Italian rocket fuel) the first night this time, not the last!

A ladybird popped in for dinner

After a lovely breakfast this morning we all headed off to Lucignano to explore. Last time we were here there was only one other couple. This time there are 10 of us here at once, making for a lot of laughs and fun. It turns out we're all Victorian's too - small world! We couldn't all fit in Rosalinda's van, so we had to split between the van and the car with Stefano, or as Shannon and I call it "the pope mobile", because of its huge glass windows. Lucignano was a lovely little hilltop town, largely untouched by tourists (not as much as Florence that's for sure!) We wandered through the local market that was running and I got talked in to buying a dress...okay she didn't have to twist my arm too hard! Jury's still out whether I got myself a bargain or not - it was only 8 euros but I'm too scared to try it on in fear it will be too small and the money wasted!

Fresh produce at the market

Stefano and Rosalinda

Gato

Enjoying a beautiful lunch

We bought a fresh apple from the market and they were so juicy straight from the tree! More wondering of the pretty streets followed, then we found a restaurant to have lunch. The food there did not disappoint either. Gnocchi with a simple sauce, bruschetta, spinach and ricotta dumplings - delicious! The afternoon and evening was spent relaxing at La Maeste, enjoying the sun, the pool and a lovely throw together dinner with our fellow guests of cold meats, breads, cheese and salad.

Tomorrow - Perugia.

A little food and then non airconditioned transit.

2014-09-17T18:04:00.001+02:00

10:13 - Departure - Giglio Bianco B&B. With a little sadness we waved our goodbyes, caught the No.11 bus to Santa Maria Novella Station (Florence's main station) and then checked our bags.

10:43 Santa Maria Novella Station - use the automated ticket machines to purchase tickets for later train today. It does amaze me that even when tourists select their own language they still can't use the machine without assistance. If you can't use it, my suggestion, go to the booth with staff.

11:17 - Enter Mercato Centrale (Central Food Market)

11:23 - Be shocked by the size and the variety of food

11:37 - Realise it is two floors.
11:45 - Order a cold meat and cheese tasting plate 10 EURO.

11:47 - Plate is delivered, realise it comes with a glass (plastic cup) of Chianti wine

11:49 - Decide it isn't too early to drink wine.
12:08 - Finish tasting plate, it was delightful
12:40 - Finish walking the market, but still much more to see
12:44 - Start walking through the pedestrian area lined with outside dealers of leather.

12:45 Start getting frustrated with all the pushy salesmen
12:53 - Katie buys some lovely scarves
13:16 - Make our way back to train station
13:27 - Collect bags from checked baggage
13:43 - Check what platform train will be on, information not on board as yet
13:48 - Check what platform train will be on, information not on board as yet
13:55 - Check what platform train will be on, information not on board as yet
14:01 - Check what platform train will be on, walk to platform 16
14:05 - Board train, realise the air conditioning is off.
14:09 - Train departs
14:10 - Hopes of air conditioning are becoming less
14:23 - Realise there will be no air conditioning and windows don't open.
14:29 - Collectively we have sweat at least 4 litres
14:36 - Leave carriage as it is slightly cooler in the entrance to carriage area.
15:23 - Exit train - cool down

15:30 - Rosalinda arrives and takes us to our accommodation

A week of Tuscany begins!

A feast in Florence

2014-09-17T17:23:00.000+02:00

What a cooking class, what a dinner. Last night we were treated to a personal cooking class at Giglio Bianco followed by dinner cooked by chef Vary.

"Five PM and don't eat", those were our only instructions Vary gave us as we set out for the day. After having a very hot day in Florence we got back early, had a shower and made sure we were hungry.

Entering the kitchen for the first time I couldn't keep my eyes still there was so much to see. The centre of the room had a large wooden table where we would be learning a little Tuscan cooking. This was Vary's canvas where she would prepare her masterpieces and like a pallet, it was covered with the fresh product we would be using, cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil, sage, chicken thighs, bread dough, spinach, Parmigiano reggiano and '00' flour.

The walls in the room were covered with shelves extending to the ceiling that were bulging with every ingredient imaginable. There appeared to be no organisation in the kitchen. It was clean and tidy but only the chef knew the code to the filing system she had created over many years in this little Italian room.

This lady had passion for her food, her kitchen and her B&B. This passion drew us in further to her domain, it was not overpowering or intimidating. This passion was refreshingly pleasant in Florence; a city that has been cleansed of Italian culture by the brush of the international tourist.

During the next two and a half hours, Vary covered how to prepare and cook chicken caccatoire, Buffalo ricotta gnocchi with spinach and of course Tiramisu. These meals were all impressively easy to prepare and were created and modified by Vary to suit ingredients available to us back home. Of course what would an Italian cooking class be without a glass of Prosecco in hand? Which she kept topping up!

After the class we relocated to the dining room with its' 250 year old dining table. It is hard to imagine how many meals, conversations and moments of laughter this table has been a part of. If it could only talk.

The five courses that were presented to us were based on the meals we learnt in the course prior and a few extra surprises, like buffalo salami and purple potatoes shallow fried in a vacuum.

The evening was pleasant, the meal was delicious, fun and importantly served with correct portion sizes. When we retired for the evening we were comfortably full.

Thanks Vary and Edo

Florence, done.

2014-09-16T23:31:00.002+02:00

Today has been a long day so the blog will be more pictures than words. We covered the following, Uffizi Gallery - It was great to see some of the paintings we have only been able to see online or in books.

Florence Cathedral and climbed the cupola, great climb, 463 steps up and 463 down

Academia Gallery to finally see David

and a five course dinner and cooking course with our hosts. A truly spectacular evening.

Tomorrow - Back on the rails

Hello Florence, the Walsh's are back in town.

2014-09-15T22:44:00.000+02:00

Busy and great, that could be the blog for today, but here are some of the highlights.

Deciding to use public transport as much as we can on this trip today was no exception and it could be said we're getting pretty good at it. Starting the day we caught the smallest bus ever, it would be lucky to have 8 seats and hold a total of 25 people. Small busses are needed in Florence as the streets are so small.

Our first stop was Piazza Santa Croce and we checked out a number of shops selling leather products, bags, gloves, shoes, wallets, purses, key fobs, we saw it all but didn't buy a thing, the prices were over the top. One sales man told me not to worry about the price, he had a jacket in my size and to just try it on, we can talk 'good price later'.

The Piazza is one of the many in the city and allowed us to take a break, have an apple and partake in Katies favourite, people watching.

Basilica di Santa Croce

Next the Museum Galileo, a collection of science artefacts from the 15 and 16 centuries kept us busy.

Yo, Yo, in da house!

The afternoon was filled in by a walk through the Florence Cathedral and then a bus to check out The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens.

Tomorrow - Uffizi, Duomo climb, Gallery of the Academy and a cooking class.

Lean on me

2014-09-14T21:24:00.001+02:00

Leaving Santa Margherita Ligure (SML) was a little sad this morning, however there were also a few reasons we were happy to leave.

Firstly SML has one of the most lovely waterfronts we have ever visited. The paved walking areas, green grass and established trees and palms are key features. The church in the main town is although not the nicest looking from the outside, one of the most beautiful we have ever been inside. The views and panorama's of the town and surrounding area are without question the key attraction, and without these our stay would have been less enjoyable.

On the down side, the Hotel Lido Palace does in no way meet the 4 star rating it has above its door. Without the view, which is impressive in itself, the hotel would be lucky to meet 2 stars with its very dated fixtures and furnishings. One real gripe of ours was the constant requirement to ask reception for a new WiFi password each day and when we were connected the speed, were lucky to be 33kbs (or pre dial up speeds). On advising the staff at reception, we were advised the speed was due to the number of users, however the time of day or the number of guests didn't make any difference.

The final reason for being pleased to leave SML was the very bad case of food poisoning that I contracted from what we believe to be a restaurant in town. This put our plans on hold for a full 36 hours and also made the remaining time less pleasant as health was still getting back to normal.

Enough ranting...

Last night we arranged for the hotel to book a taxi to take us to the train station in Rapallo, we knew a taxi would cost us EUR25 but the cost would be worth it as the busses don't start early enough and catching the train was also not an option. So when we were checking out the reception advised the taxi was waiting for us out front, we looked and we couldn't see it all we could see was a Mercedes and as it turned out that was the taxi. The car was brand new and was a top of the line model, when we got inside there were full leather seats and there was enough room in the back to swing ten cats.

The taxi, hotel, and Katie

So the ride to the station was pretty uneventful but we were like a king and queen for the 8 minutes it took. When we got out the driver opened Katies door, removed our luggage from the boot then turned and asked us for the payment of EUR75, yes 75 Euros!

Well both of us stepped back for a moment and i told the driver that a taxi ride from SML to Rapallo is a fixed price and that was 25. Thank fully i learnt this information only the day before. The driver whipped out his phone and swiped the screen from left then right up and down and within seconds confirmed the price of 25. It was one of those moments that could have been difficult, but thankfully wasn't however i would hate to think who would pay the 75 and if they thought this was reasonable.

After our train ride we disembarked in Pisa, checked our bags as we would be moving on to Florence later in the day and then tried to work the best way to get to the Leaning tower. As time was short it was decided to catch the LAN Rossa or Red line. After about 5 minutes on the bus i checked our location google maps and realised we were heading in the wrong direction, to the airport!

First thinking to pull the emergency stop, i pressed the stop button and we got off at the next stop. Basically the red line does in both directions from the train station in Pisa, one to the airport and the other to the leaning tower. So it was an easy fix, just cross the road and catch the next red line bus. This however did end up leaving us less than 10 minutes and a brisk walk to the base of the tower. thankfully we go there in time and out tickets didn't need any further checking, but we were advised we needed to check the small bag we carry as none were allowed up the tower. So with us already worked up a sweat from getting to the tower we raced across the square to check the bag, Katie waited outside then when i got to the front of the line to check the bag was able to read the notice advising i would need my ticket to the tower to check the bag. Katie had the tickets, outside.

Outside i dashed, and grabbed the tickets, re joined the checked bag queue and as if like dominoes in a row, all fell into place and we were up the tower after climbing the steps. Thankfully for this minor drama it didn't allow Katie too much time to doubt herself and i am proud of her for making her way up the great Italian erection.

Having a break, almost there

Don't drop the camera

As it was sunday the bells were rung while we were up there

The afternoon we walked back to the station just to get an idea of Pisa, but glad we didn't stay there as there isn't much else to see.

Tonight we are in florence and will provide details about this exquisite accommodation in another blog.

Tomorrow - Florence

Many bad connections

2014-09-13T22:40:00.001+02:00

Yesterday there was no blog, yesterday I was recovering from a suspected large dose of food poisoning, thankfully good wife was here to lend a hand and that is now behind us.

Today we started with a lovely little hill that separates the two parts of Santa Margherita Ligure. This hill has been many things over the time but recently ( the last 40 years) has been owned by the Commune Santa Margherita (or local government). It consists of some lovely landscaped gardens, what appeared to be a campus of a university and Villa Durazzo.

The gardens were full of little surprises and one of our favourites was the pond.

Stax on turtles!

Next we walked back down and along the foreshore of Santa Margherita and after having lunch tried to catch the bus to Rapallo. After we thought we missed the first bus and then the second didn't arrive, we asked the tourist information. They advised the line we needed was closed today due to a cycle race. Next option, let's get a Taxi. So before getting in we asked how much to Rapallo. Now this town is only 4.7KM from where we are. We were advised 25EUR (about $36AUD) and he pointed to a sign and said fixed price. Well that wasn't an option either. Finally we waited for another 40 minutes and caught the ferry into Rapallo for around 12 EUR.

Blow wave?

It's amazing who you see in the Italian Riviera - Paul Hogan?

Rapallo was packed mostly due to the cycle by hand road race. A beeline was made for the Rapallo Funivar, about a 15 minute walk and then a 25 min wait as it only goes every 30 min. We were on our way to see the great views.

No one likes waiting

Steps - bring em on

Up top there is only a church and some restaurants that are only open when Australian tourists are not there.

The afternoon we wandered Rapallo and took in the sights.

Tomorrow - Back on the rails, it's leaning?

The stuff postcards are made of

2014-09-11T21:03:00.001+02:00

It's become apparent, Santa Margherita Ligure is one of those places where you can completely lose track of all time and drift into a completely relaxed state. I have found myself on several occasions asking Shannon even what day it is. Lazy breakfasts, people watching and afternoons spent lounging on the balcony watching the people on the beach below.
Today we decided to take a bus to Portofino, about 10 minutes away from our little paradise. The rumours of Italian driving are true - even more so when on board a bus. He stopped for no-one, bleared his horn at every bend and drove at a speed that made me tense at every bend as we wound our way around the coast. I couldn't help but grin as we pulled into our stop and took in the view. There are moments in life that simply take out breath away - and views as it would seem! I could not even begin to justify Portofino's beauty with words. But a picture, well we all know how much it can explain...

Doing her laundry and watching the tourists

Portofino harbour

A brief side note: for those of you who have not travelled Europe before...public toilets have a service fee. Yes, you read correctly! However, there is good reason for it. Unlike the big places we have at home that are always hhmm let's say grotty, most public toilets in Europe are looked after by an attendant. They keep them clean at all times and usually they charge between 20 and 50 euro cents. For the pleasure of using the facilities at Portofino today the charge was 1 euro...around 1 dollar 40 australian. And...she can get away with it because it's the only public loo in town! Sorry if that bored you, but I find it kind of fascinating that they charge you to use them, but also have someone employed full time to keep them clean.

Portofino was once a tiny fishing village...now...a massive tourist trap, filled with expensive boutiques, restaurants and yachts moored in the harbour worth millions. It's also a popular celebrity holiday destination. We read only yesterday that Beyonce and Kanye West were holidaying here this week for Beyonce's birthday. However, escaping all that is truly one of the most beautiful places I have set eyes on. Shannon and I had read about a castle upon a mountain, where you get the most incredible views. Who could pass up that? The thought of an uphill climb didn't thrill me, but the views did. So we sucked it up and began the climb. It began with stairs, but then turned in to a rocky path. It took us about half an hour to reach Castle Brown - sweaty, tired and thirsty. We were rewarded with spectacular views over Portofino. We enjoyed phone calls home to our parents and much needed drinks before heading down again.

An uphill trek to Castle Brown

We knew Portofino was expensive and thought lunch would cost us...but we walked out of the harbour a little and found a tiny pizzeria where we enjoyed quite cheap prosciutto and salami pizzas.
We took the boat back to Santa Margherita for a different view and while we had planned to go across to Rapallo (part of the Cinque Terre) we ended up returning to our hotel to relax and enjoy siesta as the Italians do.

Tomorrow - Rapallo and a cable car.

Sorry, another laundry story.

2014-09-10T19:23:00.002+02:00

I dont want this to be a daily update on our laundry situation but once again it was time to catch up on the dreaded task while we had facilities and again it was eventful.

Yesterday we were able to find the only laundromat in town and did the usual checks, how much is each wash, do we need washing powder, is there a change machine, are the instructions in english (well one can hope). Thankfully it was check on all, great! So this morning was the plan to get it over and done with and we loaded up our clothes and walked into the town to the laundromat.

On arrival, there were no other customers, more good news, no waiting for machines. I noticed the lights weren't on but assumed this was just a power saving measure during the day. We loaded the machine and then realised why the lights weren't on... no power to the laundromat.

Always time for Facebook.

No horses, cats, dogs or shoes are alowed in these washing machines

Both Katie and myself searched every corner of the shop that is no bigger than a bedroom hoping to find a switch or push button to get the power on, no luck. Thankfully there was a phone number on the door and with nothing to lose whipped out the phone and gave it a call. The phone was answered by, um, lets say Luigi. In fact i didn't get his name or anything else for that matter, he had no english and i had no italian. I managed to tell him where i was and there was no power. He continued talking like he was calling a race at the track and in the end I just hung up, not knowing if he had understood our dilemma.

It was at this point when we were contemplating unloading the machine and returning with our dirty clothes when a posse of italian women and their daughter come in with washing. Great i thought here is my ticket to get these machines going. These women looked like they knew a thing or two and would know what to do.

Up until now we have been a little spoilt as most people we have talked to have had between 35-90% skill in english, but these women, well they had no english skills.

With lots of hand waving and adding 'o' to the end of words (i.e. electricity'o, washing machine'o broken'o) the ring leader either understood me or realised the lights were off and in turn was the power.

I pointed to the phone number on the door and she realised i had made a call. I then was able to get her to take my phone and talk to 'Luigi'. After about 4 minutes the call was over. She was frustrated, she couldn't do her washing, and so was i as i still didn't know the story. Was the power out to just this business, the block we were in, or who knows?

I then had a helpful hand from Google Translate on my phone. I was able to type in english, and it translated to Italian and vice versa, from this we worked out Nicko was on his way and would fix it in 10 minutes. Even though they all left, we were again waiting, but this time knew a Knight in shining armour was on his way.

It was hot in the Laundromat, so we both got a chair and sat outside. Many italians passed, none were Nicko. Then, a short, fat, slightly balding Italian man was walking up the street, could this be Nicko?

He grunted to get past us at the doorway, we let him in, then he got on the phone, to Luigi? We didn't know. He then went to every corner of the room just like we did, he didn't know what he was doing, ohh the laundry was doomed.

He left the building and then went into a door just up the street and in the wink of an eye all the lights come on, the machines all beeped one by one and wolla, we had power, our mysterious man fixed it.

He came back gave the place the once over then in his Italian-English got our details and advised the boss will be in contact to refund the money we lost when the power went off!

Little did he know we hadn't put any in, we will wait for tomorrow to see if the money is returned.

Katie, waiting for the spin cycle to finish.

Below, some photos from our afternoon stroll.

From our balcony

The Harbour

Katie, having a Cher moment in front of the Christopher Columbus statue

Apperitivo!

From our balcony.

Tomorrow - Portofino & Rapallo

There was movement at the station.

2014-09-09T22:31:00.002+02:00

Leaving Bologna I thought it would be just a matter of catching a train at one of the seven platforms, but when we entered the departure hall (not much bigger than Geelong station) found we were to go to platform 17.

The station is huge, platforms from eight to nineteen are all underground. These platforms service the fast trains that criss cross Italy. Bologna is the main hub where just about any train from the south must go through for the north.

Business Class

We got faster too, up to 298 km/h

Time to change trains in Milan, we will stay next time

For us the train journey was uneventful along with the next one to Santa Margherita Ligure (SML)
We have now checked in and have rested today as it has been quite tiring.
The location of our accommodation is great, as you can see.

From the hotel balcony

Sorry for the short blog, but not much happens when in transit, many things to see and do here in the next five days, so lots of photos to come.

Tomorrow - Beach and water.

More Bella, no Mortadella

2014-09-08T22:07:00.001+02:00

This, our last full day in the lovely city of Bologna started at the Basilica Santuario Santo Stefano (Basilica and Sanctuary of Saint Stefano). The history in this place is just amazing, it is made up from the joining of seven Churches on the site. Even though it does not look it the complex is huge.

From here we headed for some lunch, we ventured on our own little banquet sampling from different shops. First course was a plate of cold cuts, consisting of Parma Ham, Prosciutto, Salami, Pecorino Romano Cheese, and some flat bread. Next was some fried Calamari and Gamberetto (small prawns), once again lovely. Next and final course was Tortellini al Ragù (beef sauce) cooked to perfection. These little tasting plates even though from more of a take away type shop were well prepared by staff who were passionate about their job and their food.

Bread - abstract form

Meat

Borlotti Beans

Tomatoes

We just looked.

Next was time for a little window shopping but this didn't last long, as from 13:00 most shops pull down the shutters till 15:00 for a break, so it was off for some Gelato.

1435 Euro - Around $AUD2000 for a pen

After walking about 10 minutes the first place we were recommended was closed, and thought another 15 minutes wouldn't be a bad idea to the second recommendation. Even though the road was uphill and the traffic was noisy it was well worth it and we felt like we earnt the treat.

As we were now closer to the edge of town rather than the centre the map was indicating we were only another 10 minutes from Giardini Margherita (Margherita Garden) a large garden on the edge of town with lake. So back on when the hiking boots and again we were impressed with the park and Katie especially loved the turtles in the lake.

Look closely, there is a turtle.

Lovely park

This time we caught the bus back to our B&B and rested for the afternoon before having a lovely dinner at Osteria la Traviata. This was a medium family restaurant and was in no way a tourist mecca, which is what we like. The menu was very small in selection and all in Italian, a little hard to understand so the owner helped us make selections and made many recommendations. It is a lovely place and rates as one of the best meals we have had on the trip so far.

Tip - Click on the photos to see in full screen

Tomorrow - Back on the rails.

Washing, Laundry, Trains and Busses.

2014-09-07T21:44:00.000+02:00

This morning was time for laundry and a sleep in. First was the sleep in, well it was for Katie, I on the other hand was up before seven for who knows why. So while she was sleeping I took my turn on the laundry. I normally have no difficulty with the laundry duties apart from separating the colours, however this morning was different.

When booking this accommodation we made sure it had a washing machine, but this morning, it didn't, that was until it was finally found.The machine is in the bathroom behind two doors, which I just thought were to, well who knows what.

This laundry even comes with a seat.

Now the washer was found and I had loaded it and the detergent it was time to turn it on, easy! Well

as it was all in Italian, and there were no instructions, i pressed buttons for about 10 minutes and bingo it was off.

Translation not included.

It is these little things while traveling that make it worth while, trying to find something, understanding how to operate something, following instructions and directions or just ordering a coffee. At times they could be frustrating, but for us is part of the holiday and learning different cultures.

After we met Maria, the owner and she followed the italian tradition of taking a copy of our passports, it was off to catch the train...

Train - a series of connected railway carriages or wagons moved by a locomotive or by integral motors. noun

When i say train, it isn't one on rails, more like the little blue ones in Geelong's foreshore, but bigger and goes on the road. We were to board at 10:30 but realised as we were getting our money out we didn't have any! The train only accepts cash. We both though each other had cash in our wallets and purses. Not to worry, time to find an ATM and well as the saying goes, When in Rome do as the romans do.

We ventured to Pablo's little Cafe and with us talking English and Pablo talking Italian we managed to order Cappuccinos and two croissants. It was when it arrived we noticed the sugar. As with most cafe's the sugar was in the little paper packets, but Pablo being a very proud Italian, has his own printed, see below. This was another of those unexpected moments, to see this man so proud of his little shop where everyone knew him and vice versa. Most Italian shop owners are like this, it is just a shame there aren't more proud owners in Australia.

We managed to get the little train at 11:30 and were on our way to the St Luca church with its lovely view over Bologna. The train had audio commentary in every language and was quite informative.

The little train

The view from the top was worth the ride.

St. Luca Church

Not much else was up the top so we got the next train back down and then wandered into the centre of town for the Red bus tour.

The ride down was much, much faster.

Bologna Porticoes

This was onboard a bus with the roof chopped off. it is setup as a hop on off tour but as the day was now getting late we stayed on for the 90 minutes and listened to the audio commentary and relaxed.

Karl didn't get a headset.

The evening was spent at 'home' and cooked some Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini with some tomato and bacon sauce. It was only from the supermarket, but it is much better than the Latina fresh ones.

One final thought from Katie - Leggings are not pants, should only be worn when exercising.

Tomorrow - Mortadella

Welcome to Bologna - Bongiorno Italia!

2014-09-06T22:34:00.003+02:00

It was so nice to wake up in beautiful Bologna this morning. We had a late one last night, after reaching our accommodation, then finding a restaurant close by to have some dinner. It is very typical of Italian's not to eat at restaurants until at least 8pm. So when we ventured out after 9, there were plenty of people out and about. I had a leisurely sleep in today, unusual for me, and only woke because Shannon woke me at 9am! Our B&B host Maria, was kind enough to leave us some breakfast supplies in our apartment, so we were able to enjoy fresh fruit, toasts and spreads, juice and coffee before we ventured out to explore.

Taking in the beautiful sights of Bologna

I've had the conversation with many people before, about how people are drawn for some reason or another to certain places - for us it is most certainly Italy. Walking the cobbled stoned streets of Bologna this morning, I couldn't help but smile - feeling so lucky to be enjoying this beautiful town. Bologna is an ancient walled city. While you're surrounded by a Medieval wall and ancient buildings, this is a town that has a great contrast of old and new. Many designer shops line the streets along with the coffee bars, Tabacchi which sell an array of items, mini supermarkets and restaurants. The locals are bright and friendly and bend over backwards to make you feel welcome, with their very good English. An attempt at the Italian language goes a long way with the locals and we are pleased to have remembered the basics from last time, to communicate a little.
Being a Saturday morning, the town was all a bustle with locals enjoying the sun and the shopping. We wandered through the main square "Piazza Maggiore" and admired the fountain of Neptune.

The fountain of Neptune

We decided to hit a few museums today, to understand Bologna's history and how it came to be. First we visited the Medieval Museum, which was quite interesting - a place I wish I could bring my year 8 students when I teach Medieval History - it really brings it to life.

Medieval horse armour

Next we went to the Anatomical Theatre and Stabat Mater Lecture Hall. This was the very first part of Bologna's University - in the anatomy theatre, they would dissect bodies right in the centre of the lecture hall - delightful.

Anatomical theatre - where dissection took place

It was at this point we decided to have some lunch. We found a bar right in the centre that served lunch and faced the main square. There was also some mini music festival happening - to my absolute delight an acapella gospel group performed in English! What a treat to feast on Margherita Crostini and listen to beautiful harmonies.We left and were headed for the museum of Bologna's history, when we arrived at the "Two Towers". Bologna was once a town of many towers. These days there are two that stand proud in the centre - Asinelli and Garisenda. Asinelli is open for people to climb to it's top and be rewarded with amazing views over Bologna. The catch - Asinelli has 495 wooden stairs to climb. Shannon had read about this before the trip and decided he was going to climb to the top. I was not confident. So, Shannon bravely set off for the top, winding up narrow staircases, while I waited at the bottom, watching the world go by. He made it in 20 or so minutes! I was so proud! The views he had were simply breathtaking...

view from the top!

steep staircase!

about to climb 495 stairs...

We eventually made it to the museum of the history of Bologna which was very informative and enjoyed a latte macchiato, before walking back to our accommodation via a tiny supermarket for snacks. Maria had put together a list of top restaurants for us, so we headed to number one on her list. "We don't open til 8"...So we headed to number 2..."fully booked"...hungry and slightly frustrated we walked on. We eventually stumbled upon a tiny restaurant in a back street and very glad we did. The service was fantastic and the food very good. While a little pricey, the tortellini and grilled steak were very good. We had an amazing day and can't wait for tomorrow for some more exploring.

Enjoying a traditional Bolognese dinner.

Tomorrow - the little train that could.

It's great to be in Italy again.

2014-09-05T23:02:00.001+02:00

Goodbye Berlin, well almost. Our original plans were to fly out from Berlin around midday, however GermanWings changed their flights a few weeks ago and we were rescheduled to the afternoon. This allowed a further day of exploration in Berlin.

Breakfast at The Circus Hotel

To say that the Berlin Wall has been commercialised would be an understatement but once we peeled back the covers, we found an open air memorial to the wall and the people it affected. We caught the U-Bahn to Bernauer St. and started our exploration.

We mastered the Berlin transport system

Bernauer St. is the infamous street where people were seen jumping from windows to escape East Berlin, in the end the windows were bricked up. That didn't stop the escape attempts, some tunneling some just jumping up and over, but most didn't make their goal. There are now iron markers in the ground to mark the place's where so many ended their attempt.

East Berlin on the left

West Berlin on the left

East Berlin side

East Berlin side - the tripwires, gravel and guns have been replaced by grass

A reminder of those and their last place

Now we can pass freely

West side

This is in no way a depressing or morbid place. The wall is still there in some sections and others represented by iron poles. The gravel has been replaced by green grass and there are interpretation signs with audio and video.

Interpretive signs

As this is in the northern area of the city, we noticed it to be slightly different, more of a suburb of people rather than signs, tourists, and gypsy girls trying to scam.

Finishing this we returned to the direction of the hotel to collect the bags, but on the way we stopped at Volkspark am Weinberg, to watch the Berliners walking, sunbaking and just enjoying the late summers day.

A bird in the park

Next, time to get bags, a subway train, a bus, followed by the standard waiting at the airport (which I hate) but the 'D' terminal at Berlin makes it even worse. As the terminal is separate to the rest of the airport, there is only one duty free shop and it only sells liquor, chocolate, and perfume. No electronics to look at, no newsagents, no cafe, no restaurants, its a little like Avalon. After being advised our gate was open we went down the stairs to the tarmac and then boarded a bus, and waited for around 20 minutes in the sun. Even being in Berlin the sun was hot and by the time we were on our way again to the plane, everyone was very sweaty, and irritated.

The flight was very uneventful and we were able to get through Bologna airport with ease and a Taxi to our accommodation. It is great to be in Italy once again.

Tomorrow - Stairs