Roma.
It was a beautiful sunny English day (rare) when I flew out of Heathrow two Saturdays ago, whose flight was the only one delayed? Mine of course - 2 1/2 hours. I have never got on a flight that's departed the UK on time. Then I had to wait way over an hour for bags in Rome, apparently that day they sacked about half the baggage handlers at Fiumicino airport, so I missed a day in Rome.
The next day was the only one I had so I just did the hop-on hop-off bus, which ended up being a good idea. I hadn't been to Rome for over 20 years, last time St Peter's was closed so I got to go into the Vatican this time. Sunny day, lots to see (and eat!). I realised that in my economical packing, I would be completely under dressed in Italy, everybody always looks good!
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| Trevi Fountain |
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| Colosseum obviously - didn't want to wait 3 hrs to get in |
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| Gladiators |
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| Random fountain - they're everywhere |
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| Pantheon |
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| St Peter's |
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| The Vatican |
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| JP II |
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| Spanish Steps |
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Vatican - Swiss guards
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Lots of tourists, 3 hr wait for the Colosseum (I figured that hadn't changed. Jumped the queue at St Peter's, didn't want to wait 2 hrs there, I did apologise to Pope Paul IV when I went past his crypt.
I still had plenty of time just to wander around and get lost, its a great city. I tried to talk only in Italian, but I think by accent would give me away.
Montesilvano.
There was a thunderstorm the day I got the bus to Pescara which is on the Adriatic coast directly east of Rome. The drive on the autostrada was amazing, it just goes straight though the Apennine Mountains with bridges and tunnels, no wonder the toll is about 30 Euro. I was met by Remo, Claude's cousin who drove me to the apartamento in Montesilvano
which is here.
Montesilvano a beach resort for Italians, its hard to describe...like a suburb somewhere in Qld (beach not a nice though) that's being developed at a rapid rate. The Mammarellas are very lucky, their apartment is right opposite the beach and very close to all the restaurants and cafes. Of course its decorated with tasteful Italian furniture, and once again I have to thank Claude and Lina for their hospitality.
There was not actually much to do there (which I was grateful for, I had a cold for most of the week) until full-on summer when all of Italy goes on holiday. Shops and restaurants open Italian hours (morning and evening only) if they bothered to open at all. I really wanted to go up into the medieval villages in the mountains in the Abruzzo national park, but found out that there was no transport up there until July, and some villages had been evacuated and closed after earthquakes a few years ago.
Early in the week there seemed to be no one in Montesilvano, there are big hotels that looked like they were abandoned in the 80's, but by the end of the week when the weather got better it was pumping. When I felt better, I got a bike and rode everywhere. As in a lot of Italy, the beaches are private and you have to rent a sunlounge, but they weren't operating in April, but come July there will be about 20km of umbrellas along the coast.
Cinque Terre.
I caught the fast train to Bologna (where I'd never been) and looked around for a day, beautiful renaissance city and great food (more later). Stayed overnight then got the train down to the Ligurian coast and found my hotel (which happened to be an apartment) in Riomaggiore, the first of the Cinque Terre villages
which is here. The Cinque Terre are five world heritage villages that sit on cliff tops or the coast along the Ligurian sea, surrounded by a national park. Its always been on my bucket list of places to go, and it didn't disappoint. To go from village to village you can either get the train (that tunnels through the cliffs), get a ferry or walk along the trails.During the day, the villages are full of thousands of tourists, but at they all get the trains out and Riomaggiore was delightful (no other word I can use!) Great restaurants and bars, perfect weather, and I just had to step out my front door.
Unfortunately most of the coastal path was closed, except for Monterosso to Vernazza, which happened to be the longest and steepest. There were hundreds of people on the track, from sensible Aussies, to Italians all dressed up and thinking they were in for a leisurely stroll, to the Germans and Scandies who are massively over kitted-out with these stupid walking sticks that they use everywhere (I just don't get them, the locals have been walking up and down these hills forever, they don't need 300 Euro carbon graphite sticks, they just get in the way and end up being carried in their expensive backpacks). The walk was hard (thousands of steps straight up the begin with) but that's because if become soft and unfit through the UK winter.
I definitely recommend the Cinque Terre if you ever get to Italy.
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| Bologna |
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| Bologna |
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| Bologna |
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| Riomaggiore |
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| Monterosso |
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| Vernazza |
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| Vernazza |
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| Corniglia |
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| Manarola |
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| Manarola |
Northern Italy
I've been through the north before, but I love it there. Spent a day in Genoa, where I hadn't been before which was a pleasant surprise, although it was a public holiday in Italy and nearly everything was closed...even restaurants, so weird for Italy. Next stop Milan, very classy, but what I don't get are the Africans selling fake designer handbags (as they do all over the country) right out the front of the Prada shop, you'd think the big italian fashion companies would be all over that. Final stop was Bergamo, 60km from Milan where the cheap airlines fly from. That again was a surprise, the old city which sits on a rocky hill above the new city is amazing, and not many people go there. Had a 7am flight home from there (Ryanair 35 Euros..can't complain). Now back to reality in Wales, though its been the warmest bank holiday for 6 years here - 20C!!! Yay, that actually IS nice..
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| Genoa |
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| Genoa |
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| Genoa - big yachts |
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| Milan |
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| Milan |
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| Milan |
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| Bergamo |
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| Bergamo |
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| Bergamo |
Food......
Seriously, the best. I have vowed never to eat the so-called Italian food in the UK again (and that means you Jamie Oliver). What can I say....saltimbocca in Rome, panini with proscuitto, buffalo mozarella and fresh tomato, salame and cheeses, fresh seasonal vegetables from markets, pizza and gelati, fresh fish and arrosticini (grilled lamb) from Abruzzo, pasta with clams and mussels in Montesilvano, italian microbrewery beer, fresh vegetables from the market (cannot stress the fresh part too much), fritto misto (fried mixed seafood) in the Cinque Terre, pizza and gelati (again, cannot get enough), pizza rossa and pizza bianca (my new favorite - strapazzetto with 4 cheeses, cotto ham and scrambled egg), real foccacia and deep fried anchovy in Liguria, tortellini alla bolognese in Bologna, mortadella and parmesan cheese, tiramisu, pasticceria cakes, fresh veggies, real bread, linguine with pesto green beans and potatoes in Genoa, campari and soda, house wine, pizza and gelati, cotoletta and risotto milanese from Milan....aaarrgghhh I want to go back, and NO CHIPS...yes UK, you can have a meal without them.
I'll let you drool over some more photos.
Ciao for now.
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| That reads horse butcher! |
