Italy - part II

27 June – Rome PR: 19,450 

Made it in to Rome yesterday where Antonio Schicchi was waiting for us on the train platform. That was nice!! Took us directly up to Gianicolo Park, which has a lovely view of Rome. Went to Monica’s house near there, met her and her friend Paolo, and went out to dinner – Pizza degustazione, which is like a tasting menu. Had 2 fish, one w/ pork fat, one margarita, and the best – fig and prosciutto. Got home around 11; Monica and Pablo went to the beach, so Antonio took us out into Rome – walked around the city center, to Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, saw the Bernini 4 rivers statue, and Pantheon at night. It’s such a vibrant city with people everywhere. Had a huge gelato – blackberry, peach, and strawberry at around 1PM. Made it home around 2 and finally went to bed. This morning woke up late, around 9. After some coffee and pastries, Antonio drove us around again – St. Paul’s Basilica right outside town – this was Paul’s Year, from June 28 ’08 until Monday, so it was kind of cool to see it. Then to Emmanuel Victory Monument and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – had a good view of ancient Rome. Went to a park where they were playing water polo in kayaks, so that was cool to watch. OH! And saw the Malta Garden through the keyhole – it is exactly lined up so that you can see the top of the Vatican. Pretty cool! 

 28 June – Rome PR: 22,048 

A lovely day in Rome! Woke up a bit later than we wanted, but still left the house before 9. Walked down from the Argentina stop to the Vatican – went first to the line for the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel, which was really long because it was free on the last Sunday of the month. Waited about 1.5 hours to get in, then went quickly through the exhibits – tons of beautiful rooms, but really crowded so it was hard to rally appreciate it all. The Sistine Chapel really IS impressive, but you’re standing shoulder to shoulder squashed between people. Finally meandered out around 11:45, thinking that Roxsana was already waiting in Piazza Santo Pietro… people were running in that direction, so I started walking fast, thinking maybe the basilica was closing. Got into the square right at noon, and it was PACKED. I had no idea what was going on, but all of a sudden there was a big cheer, and people have their cameras out and are all looking up to one side… so I look, and it’s the POPE!!! He spoke for about 5 minutes, then switched to French – then English, German, Spanish, Polish, and Italian. Welcomed us, talked about the Paulo year that ends tomorrow, and wished us a nice visit to Rome!! Waited another hour for Roxsana, then went to St. Peter’s Basilica – started in the Tombs where there are lots of tombs of old popes. Then went up to the basilica – saw the Pieta by Michaelangelo – truly amazing. Had lunch with Roxsana, then went over to Castel St. Angelo – saw the bridge with lots of Bernini angels. The castle was from Hadrian’s era, used to house the Pope, and has been a prison. Nice views of Vatican City and Rome. Walked back to the 8 tram and up to the house, where we pack and cleaned up. Antonio picked us up and brought us to Monica’s beach house in San Nicolo for a nice BBQ with their friends. Talked a bit with Paolo – practiced my Italian while he practiced English. After dinner, had a nice stroll down to the beach, then back to the house. Tomorrow, we’re picking up Linda and Colleen, then up to Tuscany! 

 29 June – Montecatini 

Lovely, lazy day today!! We woke up around 8 and had breakfast on the porch – Antonio brought us pastries and made cappuccinos. Took us to the airport around 10 and we found Linda and Colleen. Got the rental car and immediately drove out of Rome, at around 11ish. Stopped for lunch along the highway, then continued up past Firenze to Pistoia (filled up on gas – 50 euro) then found our way to the B&B. It’s a very cute apartment in a huge house, among olive groves on the hillside of Massa e Cozzile. Cute living room/kitchen, big bedroom, and nice bath. Immediately went to market and got groceries – Roxsana made meatballs and pasta for dinner while Linda and I went walking and Colleen slept. Went all the way up the hill – stopped to talk to two farmers who were working on their fields – big gardens with what looked like olives, green beans, tomatoes, and peppers. Very humid and warm – Linda said it was a “Taiwan” feel. Came back for a lovely dinner on the front porch – Mozzarella and tomato with basil from the plant we bought, meatballs and pasta Pomodoro. Delicious! Then we went out to get gelato and walked around the city center, just up the main street, with lots of very chic shops (but most were closed). Drove around kind of lost, but then we found our place and came home. Got on line and talked for a while – Colleen was very tired so we’re going to bed early. Linda and I have the comfy bed! 

 30 June – Montecatini PR: 19056 

Really nice night sleep! Slept through most of the noise from the little German kids upstairs; bed was comfy though, and the area is peaceful. Got up around 8:30 and had a breakfast of coffee, biscuit cookies, and yogurt. We left around 9:30 and headed for Lucca. As we were driving, we saw the town of Collodi so we stopped at Parco di Pinocchio – a park dedicated to the character written in 1883 by Carlo Collodi (who is actually named Carlo Lorenzini, but he signed his name after the medieval village where he lived). There were cute gardens with nice statues from the story (although it’s a bit expensive)...Walked down to see the giant 3-story Pinocchio statue, then drove through small towns to Lucca, about 20 km away. Lucca is a charming medieval city with a complete city wall around the old town. We walked around the center for a bit, then had lunch near the amphitheater. Walked back down to the walls and walked around the perimeter of the city along the raised wall – it’s large enough for some gardens, path, and even some restaurants and parks. Only a few service vehicles, so it’s really nice to walk or bike – about 3 km around the circumference so it’s easy to do. Then we walked back to the car – along the way, we saw some old Italian men playing cards so we said hi and stopped for a chat. Next we drove down to Pisa – you could see the tower from up the hill a few miles away. We parked inside the city walls and saw the tower and nearby buildings. Took lots of goofy, crazy pictures with the girls, which was fun. Had some gelato, then came home after stopping for groceries – a few necessities for the house, plus dinner. Roxsana cooked again for us – great fish, plus pasta, salad, bread, and wine – lovely! Got some mosquito coils, which seem to work OK, so we had the doors open for a while. Nice evening! 

1 July – Montecatini PR: 14, 979 

Cool day! Got up around 8 and had breakfast outside while Colleen and Linda walked up the hill. Had tea, yogurt with cereal, and biscuits. Got going around 9:45 – headed down to Montecatini Alto, a small hilltop town near our house. It’s really so quaint – small streets, cobblestones, and not many tourists. And it has a very cool view of the Tuscan countryside. We saw the church at the top of the hill, plus the remains of the old fort/castle. Then we headed down to lunch back at the house – leftovers, plus fruit. Yum! Headed out for Siena – about 1 hour south of us. It is also a walled hill town, a big bigger and very festive at it is Palio season. Tomorrow is the actual Palio race, but today there was a trial run and the big dinners. The town gets totally decked out with banners flying all over town in different colors, representing the different “contraltos,” or districts. We first toured the center area. The huge Siena Duomo has great art and sculptures. One of the coolest things was the two wooden poles that were the flagpoles of the Florence Army that was captured by the Sienese way back in the 1200s. Very cool!! There was also a cool altar with 4 statues; one of which was by Michelangelo, and if you looked closely (especially at the hands and drape of fabric) you can totally tell the details and craftsmanship of the Michelangelo one. Also went to the museum, the overlook, crypt, and baptistry. Then headed down to the Campo, or main square, where they run the Palio. Got there around 5; had gelato, then decided to stay for the race. There weren’t many people there yet since the race started at 8, so we got a great spot right at the “elbow” corner against the fence, and got to see all the horses march in and all the fanfare. The trial that night was just to see if the horses would do OK with all the noise and people. It started around 8PM – they didn’t go full out, but one horse went lame and it ended. It was definitely exciting to see, particularly since we were at the sharpest curve (thus called the ‘elbow’), and there were mattresses tied up on the far side of the curve just in case anyone crashed into the wall! Hurried out of the city and drove to the walled town of Monteriggio – first through Badesse but there was nothing there. Had a huge dinner up in the walled city – will definitely go back as it was really nice – ate a ton since Linda and I shared a Florentine Steak (a gigantic t-bone which was the size of my head), a known specialty of this region of Italy. Very good, and enormous – enough for leftovers for several days! 

 2 July – Montecatini (PR: 7,407) Nice, lazy morning today. Had leftover steak and eggs, plus potatoes for breakfast – mmmm! Went down to Montecatini around 11 because there was a market – plus Linda and I wanted to do laundry. Bought a black and white sundress; walked around town and then came back after laundry to have lunch of pasta with pickled antipasto and olives, plus fruit. During lunch, a thunderstorm came in and a HUGE bolt of lightning and a crashing boom struck right in front of our house. It was raining huge drops and thundering – but it stopped after about 10 minutes. Typical Italian rain. We decided to go to Vinci – Linda stayed at the house to nap. We drove around getting a bit lost, but eventually found our way. Such a beautiful little town, up in the hills surrounded by olive groves. It was a total unexpected gem. We went up to town center, which is up on the hill, and saw the Leonardo Museum and exhibits. Then drove to his birthplace, about 3 miles outside of town, with amazing views of Tuscany and among olive groves. He was born there in late 1400s and they think he went back several times to visit his brothers. Back to Vinci for gelato, then drove the long way (up through Pistoia) on a very curvy mountain road. Amazing scenery – it was beautiful. Stopped for gas on the way – there is a machine that you prepay with – the last time it cost 50 euro, so we put in 50. But it cost 44. We didn’t know how to get change. A woman came by and helped – said we had to take the receipt to the cashier the next day. Since we weren’t going back, we thought we lost the money but she bought it off us for the full 6 euro. So nice! Got groceries on the way back – got a bit lost through Montecatini because of all the one way streets, and got home at 9PM. Had nice chicken and cabbage dinner. Tomorrow, Cinque Terra! 

 3 July – Montecatini (PR: 15,810) A long hiking day today, but we did Cinque Terra!! Beautiful! We left the house around 8:30 and made it to Riomaggiore by 11. Took the train straight up to Monterosso al Mare, a beautiful beach town with colorful umbrellas lining the oceanside. We had a snack at a restaurant overlooking the ocean before setting out on our trek to Vernazza. It was very hot, and steep and narrow in some place – it was very hard for Roxsana but she was a trooper and made it!! Took us about 1.5 hours to cover the 5 km. When you turn the corner for the view of Vernazza from the hill, its breathtaking. There are lots of colorful butterflies along the path, and the ocean sparkles in the sunlight. Had a gelato in Vernazza, then walked down to the breakwater for the view and to people-watch. Wandered around town, then caught the train – skipped Corniglia and got off at Manarola. Walked down to the water, then had dinner of seafood. Roxsana decided to walk with us for the last, easy section from Manarola to Riomaggiore – the flat, easy path known as Via della Amore. It really is lovely – there is a concrete and stone loggia with lots of love graffiti, plus couples put locks on the fence and throw the keys over the side to symbolize their undying love for each other. It was an easy walk back into town, and back to the car. Had leftovers and chicken and cabbage for dinner. Tired, but satisfied from the day! 

 4 July – Montecatini (PR: 11,963) Another lovely day – again, in the hill towns. Linda and I dropped Colleen and Roxsana off at the train station and drove down to San Gimigniano. It’s a cute hill town – first thing we saw was the torture museum. Major examples, pictures, and wax figures of medieval torture devices. Fascinating and gross at the same time. Walked further down to the Death Penalty Museum, which was basically just more torture devices. Walked to the center of town; had some GREAT gelato at the gelateria del Piazza – SO GOOD! Had mango, passion fruit, and lavender raspberry. Yum! Next, we went up to the tower and saw the art gallery – nice view from the highest point in San G. Decided to go to Volterra next – had lunch at a spaghetteria – saw another torture museum but didn’t go in. Decided not to spend the money on more art museums as they were starting to look the same. Volterra is an old Etruscan town, with a hill and walls, plus a big palace looking thing that is actually a state prison. Wandered around the town and park, then drove back on small roads. Along the way, stopped again at Vinci because Linda wanted to see the ball statue. Got back to Montecatini and had another gelato – again, good, then picked C and R from the train station. Came back to the house for the Happy hour/dinner being put on by our hosts – a really nice dinner with Tuscan food; met lots of nice people. Mary and her Polish husband, who live in Montecatini Alto; Stefan and Eva, the newlywed Belgian couple; Veronica and Mike, the friends from UK. Talked to Mike from Liverpool for a while – he’s an ex-policeman who works as a security guard now, plus loves to motorcycle. Very pleasant and interesting evening. 

 5 July – Montecatini (PR: 5,433) Totally lazy morning – slept in late and got up around 9. We stayed around the house, did some reading, talking, and eating. Around 2PM there was a huge thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning. Very cool display of the wrath of mother nature!! Left the house around 3:30-4ish, drove straight back to Monteriggione for the Medieval Days Festival. Very cool walled city – Dante described it in the Inferno as a “crown” set on the prairie, where the giants put half people inside. It really does look like a crown; it’s a walled city on a hill, but doesn’t have anything built up around it like most other cities. The Medieval Festival was very cool – people walking around dressed up, and it was easier to get immersed since they spoke Italian so I couldn’t understand anything - for some reason, that made it seem more authentic. Watched the wandering entertainers – a ‘priest’ came up to me and started talking in Italian, but I understood nothing. We walked out to the tournament field to watch the jousting and sword fights. Went back into town for dinner – had Ribollita – Tuscan bread soup – very hearty and delicious. Also had cinghaile – wild boar stew, which was also good but kind of salty. Learned the difference between a latte and a cappuccino – same cup of milk with one shot of espresso, but a cappuccino has foam – vs. a macchiato, which is served in a tiny cup – a shot of espresso with a dash of milk. Did a bunch of people-watching, and walked around a bit more – the town is very small so we saw every street several times. Supposed to be a fireworks show, but it was 20 minutes late so we left since there was an hour drive home. 

 6 July – Assisi Driving day today. Got up late and did a bunch of lounging in the morning – had breakfast, read, etc. Cleaned up the house a bit and headed out around noon. There was another thunderstorm in the morning; I saw Colleen head out for a walk, then there was a big clap of thunder and she came running back in again. Kind of funny. Rained off and on during our drive out of Tuscany, and into Umbria – for a moment, it rained so hard we couldn’t talk because it was so loud and you couldn’t see a thing. Made it to the farmhouse at around 3:30 – so cute, in the hills above Assisi. Beautifully decorated rooms in a stone house, surrounded by gardens and olive trees in the hills. The woman who works here is a bit uptight, but the room and the view are fabulous. Drove down to Santa Maria degli Angeli, the town below Assisi, to the market for lunch/dinner – got salami and cheese, plus some chips and drinks, to eat in the park. Ate in front of the big church – very pleasant. Then drove up to Assisi. Beautiful little town with a huge castle/cathedral on the hill looking out over the plain. So pretty! It’s a very quaint little town, known as the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi. There were a lot of Franciscan monks and nuns walking around; it’s very religious. Almost all the shops sell mostly religious souvenirs. It may be blasphemous, but I want one of those little holy water fonts to use as a little planter! 

 7 July – Assisi Had reg. Italian breakfast at Caberto II, our B&B. Very comfy rooms, but the breakfast was dull – apricot and orange juices, the toast crackers that we always have, cookies and cakes – all too sweet. Oh well. Got going around 10 and headed out towards Spello. Roxsana thought it was the town where Michaelangelo was born, but its not. It’s known for small streets and pretty flower boxes, but not much else. Randomly, we ran across a wine bar that turned out to be one of the best in Italy – and in Spello, of all places! But Roxsana and I had lunch and tried the wine/bruschetta tasting – 2 kinds of olive oil, white and black truffle, rugala salsa, and sundried tomato. Plus bean soup, 2 kinds of red wine, both sangioveses, from the Umbria region. SO good! The olive oil was the best I’ve ever had – delicious. Roberto, the owner, was very nice and came to talk to us. After lunch we started driving again but Linda said she was tired of small towns, so we went back to Assisi and the Basilica. It’s a beautiful, two story church – has an upper basilica and a lower basilica, and under that is the tomb of St. Francis. The rest of the afternoon they went shopping... we did the s l o w walk so it was tiring and so boring. Came back to the B&B around 6 and read, talked, and sat around until dinner at 8:30. Dinner was also huge – antipasta of meats and cheeses, a faro seafood dish, seafood pasta, then fish with deep fried zucchini. Fruit for dessert. All SO good, and way too much food! 

 8 July – Assisi Last day in Umbria, and it was awesome!! Roxsana and I relaxed here at the house for half the day, reading and relaxing. We dropped Linda and Colleen off at the train station at around 11:30 (we didn’t get up til 10:30) because they wanted to go into Rome. Went to the grocery store for lunch (and picked up monster drinking glasses – only €1 for a set of 3!) Got samdwiches and drinks, then came back to the house. Sat around til around 3:30, then decided to head out. At first we were going to go to the Marmore Cascades, but the gas stations are having a strike so we were worried about running out of gas. Instead, we parked in Santa Maria degli Angeli and walked down to the church. It was really cool inside – there is a little chapel built by St Francis, and tons of pilgrims go there, ever since St Francis’ days, in the early 1200s. Eventually, they decided to build a giant cathedral around it, so now you go into this huge cathedral and inside is this little tiny chapel. Then we saw where St Francis died – in one of the chapels in the church. On the way to the rose garden was a small corridor with a statue of St Francis holding a basket. All of a sudden the basket moved and we realized there is a pair of white doves nesting in the basket! Supposedly they are descended from doves that someone gave to St Francis. Very cool! After the church, we went for gelato then back to the house. Decided to go for a walk; we met an old Italian man who lived down the street, and he recommended we go to the “beautiful castle at the top of the hill.” So we walked up about 2 or so kilometers and found the most charming and beautiful hotel that was a “castle.” Nicely manicured lawns and gorgeous gardens, so we decided to eat dinner there. We walked back down to the house and drove up and had dinner outside – VERY good steak, pasta, and veggies. The waiter was SO cute, but kind of shy. We surreptitiously took pictures of him until Roxsana finally just asked him to take a picture with us. Mortifying, but then I figured, who cares?! Ha ha! 

 9 July – Rome Super busy day, so here are the notes on what we did! Went to Orvieto, visited St. Patrick’s Well. Met and talked to a charming little 86 year old man who was sitting in the park. Had lunch at the self-serve restaurant recommended by the man. Went into the beautiful grey and white striped Duomo. Saw the Orvieto Underground, the old Etruscan city. Was most fascinated by the pigeon coops dug into the walls. Drove to Rome – Found our hotel, which is more like an apartment. We met up with Antonio, who took us to dinner for a huge seafood feast. There were multiple antipastas, oysters, raw shrimp and fish, etc. We then walked along the pier in Fiumicino. Got lost coming home, so it wasn’t until 1:30 AM that we could get to bed!