HAVE PEN WILL TRAVEL SOUTHERN ITALY

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Rome, Lazio, Italy
Monday, October 12, 2015

HAVE PEN, WILL TRAVEL SOUTHERN ITALY
We left Ft. Myers, FL on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 bound for Rome, Italy. When we arrived at our connecting flight in Charlotte, NC, we learned that our US Air Rome flight was short seven seats. Could we give up six hours in Rome, take an additional flight to Paris, and endure a real trial of our stamina? Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is huge (we had to walk it all, we think!), Fiumicino airport in Rome is under construction (and needs it badly!), and NOONE can direct you to where luggage is stored (ours came in early on the plane on which we were originally booked). Thanks to my intrepid husband, lost luggage became found luggage, we travelled the final 30 minutes on the Leonardo Express train, and hobbled into our great little apartamente in the Monti area of Rome. We were greeted by the most gorgeous host, Hugo, who helpfully showed us all the features of the apt. and even accompanied us to the local market. Exhausted beyond belief, we stumbled back home and slept until 9AM Thursday!
It took us a few hours to find out if our feet and legs were in working order today! By noon, we left and walked the short distance (a quarter-mile) to the Colosseum. Tickets are reasonable—12 euros plus 9 for an English audioguide. Also called Flavian Amphitheater, the Colosseum was built in just five years between 75 and 80 A.D. The structure is approximately 146 feet tall, divided into three floors with 80 arches each . Spectators were given free passes but all used assigned seats which were designated according to rigid social rules. Of course, the emperor and other important citizens sat in the lowest seats; the higher up one sat, the lower his class. It is estimated that the Colosseum would have accommodated 60,000 spectators. After a thorough examination, we walked to a wonderful restaurant, enjoyed shrimp and octopus appetizer and pasta (Bob’s had LOTS of sea fruits—clams, shrimp, micro lobsters, squid). We followed the feast with gelato, of course.
Friday, September 4 was another “late start” day; maybe it’s our age and or maybe Rome is conquering us, but, gosh this is harder than we thought it would be! The Vatican was on our radar today, so we took the #64 bus (all the guide books call this the “pickpocket express”—all we encountered was a crush of people—or shall we say sardines!). We were not ready for the magnificence of this country (yes, the Vatican is a nation unto itself, the smallest in the world and----20,000 visitors come here EACH DAY!!). Bernini’s huge colonnades greet visitors with such grandeur that we were left awestruck. The huge line waiting to enter St. Peter’s convinced us to employ a guide, Paolo, and we were happy with that choice by day’s end! Paolo proved to be quite knowledgeable and friendly (and he even gave us some tips for our trip after Rome). It is impossible to see all of the Vatican Museums in one day, but Paolo led us to the most important ones: Laocoon (1st century AD Trojan prophet strangled by serpents), Raphael’s Transfiguration (Christ appearing to the apostles), Borgia Apartments (beautiful rooms frescoed by Pinturicchio), Apollo Belvedere (considered the model of physical beauty) and many more. The Sistine Chapel with its ceiling by Michelangelo is definitely one of the most spectacular works of art in the world. As we stood in silence adoring it, I was reminded of our trip last year when we viewed the Last Supper in Milan. Of course, there were many other top painters who contributed to this breathtaking ceiling such as Botticelli, Signorelli, Perugino to name a few. St. Peter’s Basilica is Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular church. The original church was commissioned by the emperor Constantine around 349 on the site where St. Peter is said to have been buried between 64 and 67 AD. It fell into disrepair eventually and efforts were finally made to restore it in mid-15th century. Michelangelo’s vision created his crowning achievement, the dome, 435 ft. high and 138 ft. in diameter. His other great contribution is the Pieta, the sculpture of Virgin Mary holding Christ’s body, completed at the age of 25 in 1499. Besides the Pieta and dome, the third important feature of St. Peter’s is the Baldacchino, Bernini’s glorious huge canopy over the altar. I feel remiss in not mentioning so many of the other masterpieces; we wished we had more time to appreciate them all. But, this was a very full day, and we have but four more left!
Today, Saturday, we slept late again and we were beginning to wonder if old people can do this travel thing! But, with much determination, we set out for the Musei Capitolini, a short distance from the Colosseum. Bob’s choice of Hugo’s apartementi is turning out so well; the location is perfect for seeing most of the important sights in Rome! The Musei is set in a square designed by Michelangelo on Capitoline Hill and is home to two magnificent museums. These are the twin palaces, the Palazzo Nuovo and the Palazzo di Conservatori and they hold some of Rome’s greatest treasures. We learned, through trial and error, that there is an underpass to go from one to the other. The sculptures are iconic: the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Dying Gaul, the Resting Satyr, the bronze she-wolf suckling Romulus (Rome’s namesake) and Remus to name a few. We spent three hours admiring the great works, then walked the Via Allesandrina to examine the forums of Trajan, Augustus, and Nerva.
We started early today with a treat of a cab ride (a bargain at 9 euros!) to go to the Porta Portese flea market. It is ginormous!!! Perusing the stalls is always fun; we purchased a few souvenirs for the folks back home, walked ourselves into fatigue, had a drink and hailed the second cab. We were bound for the Pantheon. Emperor Hadrian designed it in AD 118 and it remained a pagan temple until 608 when Emperor Phocas donated it to Pope Boniface IV. It was then renamed Santa Maria ad Martyres. It boasts the widest masonry dome in Europe, 142 ft. and is also as high . A 27-ft. airy hole (oculus) lets in sunlight as well as rain and snow! The 20-ft. thick walls with brick arches help distribute the weight of the heavy roof. Sunday is free admission day and half of Rome was there with us! It was not far to go to the Trevi Fountain (movie moments filled our minds—throw a coin into the fountain and you will return to Roma) but, alas, the Trevi was under construction until October! We were a short distance from the Palazzo Barberini. Bob and I were interested in this palace as beekeepers because the Barberini family crest has three bees and, of course, this family lived like kings! Only the second floor was open (staffing problems); however we were able to view sumptuous ceilings, exquisite sculptures (the veiled Madonna is priceless), and masterful paintings. The greenhouse is enormous and the gardens well-mannered. We fortified each other with a large gelato treat to keep our feet and legs moving home.
Today, Monday, we began with an unscheduled stop at the Church of San Martino ai Monti, founded in the 4th century. The blessed Angelo Paoli is interred here; he is revered throughout Rome for his benevolent service to the poor. The numerous frescoes are gorgeous and we were elated for this find! San Clemente was a not-to-miss place with an underground Christian basilica which dates from the mid 4th to early 5th century. The basilica consisted of a narthex (large porch or antechamber), three naves and an apse. The very lowest level dates back to the second century B.C. It was like climbing into a very damp, dark basement that went on forever! This church functioned up until the mid-twelfth century when it was abandoned in order to construct the upper basilica, which is still in use today. Next we walked to St. John Lateran, called the “Mother of All Churches” because it was founded by Constantine in the 4th century. Popes were crowned there until the 19th century; this was the most important church in Christendom for a thousand years. It is still Rome’s official cathedral and certainly the most beautiful, according to Bob. The 15th century mosaic floor is a wonder; I loved the 15 statues of Christ and the 12 apostles, 23 ft. tall and detailed beyond belief. After that we wandered to Palatine Hill, ruins and more ruins, and the Roman Forum. No matter how much history is laid out before us, we still stare in disbelief and thank God for our good fortune to see it all!
For our last day in Rome, we treated our legs to a cab ride to Piazza del Popolo which was laid out in 1538 to provide a grandiose northern gateway for Rome. In the piazza are twin churches: Santa Maria dei Miracoli PHOTO_ID_L=1020297.jpg] and Santa Maria in Montesanto. Only the first was open; it was named after a 1325 legend when a woman went to the River Tiber to gather firewood. Her son accompanied her, was swept into the water, later found alive on the bank, and claimed a woman in white rescued him. Next we examined two churches across the street from one another. The first was the Church of Jesus and Mary, ornate from top to bottom with sculptures, paintings, gold relief everywhere. Bob especially appreciated the skeleton mosaic on the floor. The other, Church of Giacomo (James) in Augusto, had a dome with windows and a huge Madonna at the main altar that I admired. The crucified Christ reclining was most memorable for me. We took a stroll to 51 Margutta where "Roman Holiday" was filmed, but nothing was open; it was fun to actually be there for me, the movie buff. Then it was on to the Spanish Steps, named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, the best people-watching perch in Rome. Also the Keats-Shelley Memorial is here where the Romantic poet John Keats died in 1821 at the young age of 25. We stopped for lunch: beef with potatoes and peppers for Bob and eggplant parmigiano and squash stuffed with rice for me. Yum, yum!! We passed Harry’s Bar, shades of La Dolce Vita, then on the Borghese This is Rome’s largest green space: 1700 acres of landscaped park, pavilions, statuary, fountains, even a small lake. We held tickets for a guided tour of the Galleria with a masterful guide who held a crash course on Bernini and Caravaggio (I loved it!). There was also a display of gorgeous fashion from recent years interspersed amongst the art and I loved it, too. We ended a full, last day in the Eternal City with a cab ride and more gelato!
Our trip to Pompei was a bit discombobulated to say the least. But, after buying the wrong tickets and riding the wrong trains (twice), we finally arrived in Pompei. Serena, our airbnb hostess, graciously met us at the station, showed us around town, and delivered us to our new apartment; it is perfecto! Next came a walking tour of the town, a sandwich at a lovely little café, and a haircut for Bob! He adored the barber and I adored looking at him.
Thursday, September 10 began with a tour of Mt. Vesuvius and Herculaneum. We weren’t prepared for the hairpin drive up the mountain, but our young driver was skillful (the downward drive was even more thrilling than the upward one). We were even less prepared for the walk the rest of the way; the loose rock, steep terrain and thin air made the hike torturous, to say the least. The peak is over 4000 ft. high and we live at nine feet above sea level! There was a whisper of steam coming out of the southern side of the crater coolie and I felt much better when we reached level ground. Next we traveled to Ercolano to examine Herculaneum, an ancient site that was devastated at the same time as Pompei, 79 A.D. The skeletons of those poor souls who ran to the docks to escape the fire were a sad testament to this event. This town was rediscovered in 1709 and some amateur excavations were carried on through the years; finally in 1927, serious archaeological work began and continues to this day.
Friday, September 11, we decided to see the Pompei ruins (in case you are wondering, the Italian spelling has one i). The city of Pompei covered 165 acres at the time of the eruption of Vesuvio on August 24, 79 A.D. Excavation now covers over 110 acres so this exploration can take several hours, more than Herculaneum. The town was under Roman rule at the time and had experienced a massive earthquake in 63 A.D.; subsequently, most of the former 20,000 inhabitants had not returned and there were possibly only 2000 victims here, 16,000 in the area. At the start of the eruption, 10 feet of material caved in roofs; the next day hot gas and fine ash suffocated any remaining souls. By the end, lapilli (rock and ash) came down at 40-60 mph, burying everything 20 feet deep. Pompei receded from the public eye until 1594 when it was discovered by an architect digging a canal. Proper archaeological digging began in 1748 and it appears there is much more to come.
Saturday, September 12, we booked a private tour of the Amalfi Coast (and celebrated Jeanine’s 46th!). Our guide took us on a 9-hour car ride that wound through cliffs overlooking picturesque villages, dramatic drops to the ocean below, and pristine waters where a myriad of boats floated in clear waters . Sorrento was a stop that we did first; we enjoyed the Chiesa de San Francesco with its medieval cloister and perused the quaint little shops Amalfi, we learned, was once a place where 70,000 lived, a maritime superpower; however, a 1343 earthquake altered that. Its main attraction for us was the Cathedrale de Sant’Andrea with its 10th century striped façade. The 13th century belltower and the church are largely Sicilian Arabic-Norman while the interior is predominately baroque. The three-euro admission is a bargain as one is allowed an examination of several art pieces and religious garments as well as the reliquary of St. Andrew the Apostle. And, of course, the beach was filled with other works of human art, according to Bob! Ravello is even higher than Amalfi and, according to an elderly gentleman, afforded Jackie Kennedy her favorite view! D.H. Lawrence wrote here and “Beat the Devil” was filmed here (think Humphrey Bogart, Gina Lollobrigida, Truman Capote, John Ford). There was not one, but two weddings going on in the cathedral built in 1086; the Ravello Festival continues from June through September with orchestral music to ballet performances to film screenings. The day was almost perfection with stunning views around every corner (and there must have been hundreds!); we almost felt sorry for our driver who was constantly turning and turning and turning. When we arrived back at Pompei, we discovered a 9/11 memorial in the courtyard of the Basilica. And, then we noticed the people, the throng of more and more and more, a virtual parade of people singing and carrying signs. They had all converged on Pompei for the festival of the Famiglia Viva (the family lives). Huge balloons were released and we almost felt at home as we were caught up in the exhuberance of the joyous Italianos!
Sunday was definitely a day of rest! But by Monday, September 14, we were itching to take the train to Naples! The ride is a short 45 minutes and the station is not difficult to navigate. After a perusal of a market, we hailed a cab and rode to the Museo Archaeologico. We had read that this museum held much of Pompei’s treasures and we were not disappointed. There were dishes, huge urns, tools, architectural pieces, glass items, wall paintings, sculptures and even a body or two. The basement houses an Egyptian collection and the first floor is filled with third century Greek and Roman sculpture, most of it colossal in size. After the museum, we walked to the Duomo, a church which is sitting on the site of an ancient Neptune temple. The church was begun in 1272 and consecrated in 1315. Today it is undergoing major repair but we still could appreciate its beauty.
Bob insisted that we tackle Naples one more time and, of course, I obliged even though my body ached in places that I never knew it could! So, Tuesday found us on the Trenitalia once again. This time we also used Naples’ very new Metro; this enabled us to get close to the harbor and to the interesting Nuovo Castel (New Castle) which also houses the Museo Civico (Civic Museum) The castle was begun in 1272 by Charles I as a royal residence and also as a fortress because of its strategic position. It was called “new” to distinguish it from two older castles; it offered hospitality to artists and men of letters such as Petrarch and Boccaccio. We loved the Baron’s Hall, so-called because Ferrante I arrested barons there who had come to attend his granddaughter’s wedding but were, in actuality, plotting against him. We explored several chapels, replete with major works of art from sculptures to jewelry to paintings. During the restoration of the Barons’ Hall, Roman era archeological finds were discovered, so there were items to see from the 1st century and later. Next we discovered the Complessa Monumentale di San Lorenzo Maggiore, a late 13th century basilica. But, more important than the church, beneath it lies the remains of a Roman city, complete with shops, a temple and other constructions from the first and second centuries B.C . We found four floors above full of finds from the dig below as well as art from later periods. On the top floor, we were especially taken by the Neapolitan prescepe (Christmas nativity scenes). The 18th century wealthy commissioned artists to create them in astounding detail with many lifelike figures; it was a wonderful memory to complete our inspection of Naples!
Our farewell to Pompei was bittersweet; this had been our very best airbnb experience—we loved the apartment, the location, and, most of all, the people we had met. But, Matera was calling, so Bob picked up our Citroen Cactus from the Hertz office at the train station (don’t laugh, the car is a dream) and we headed out to the highway. The ride was good; we stopped to take a picture of Salerno, which looks to be quite a seaport, and encountered much expected construction. I say “expected” as many lanes were blocked with no one working that we could see! We got into Matera about 2 PM and, after several phone calls, managed to find our way to our apartment. Giovanni, unfortunately, was not as adept at giving directions as Serena had been. He certainly did NOT go out of his way to meet us! And, to add injury to insult, we were NOT allowed to “park on premises” as was promised in his ad! So, after much trouble on our part, we wandered around and located a parking garage. Our brand new ride will reside there until we leave at the cost of 45 euros! We were determined to NOT let this bummer of a start to our Matera experience spoil the rest of our stay. That nigh we walked the streets with the rest of the town; Matera is older than any of Rome. There are two parts to the Sassi, the caves that have been inhabited for over 7,000 years. I learned that these brave souls were the first Italians to rise up against the Germans in 1943. We are looking forward to tomorrow’s daylight to make a complete inspection!
Thursday, Sept. 17, we set out after a sumptuous breakfast ala Bob of scrambled eggs, sausages and the best orange juice ever—it is a brilliant red and has a bit of sour to its taste. Our main objective in travelling to Matera was to see the Sassi and see it we did! “Sassi” means “rocks, caves” and there are plenty in Matera. The area is formed by a deep gully with two half-funnels; one is called Sasso Barisono (newer) and the other is called Sasso Caveoso (older). This place was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. There is proof of human existence here since the Palaeolithic age shown by many finds throughout the city. We toured one Sassi home that was occupied until 1956; in 1952, the Sassi were declared unfit for human habitation and, over the course of the next 15 years, all the people were relocated. Today there are shops, bars and homes interspersed among these ancient buildings. Several movies have been filmed here: “Passion of the Christ,” “King David,” “The Nativity Story.” We wandered around for almost four hours and felt like we were in Dante’s Inferno by day’s end (96 degree heat!).
On our last day in Matera, we toured the Museo Nazionale D. Ridola. It is a great small museum with hundreds of items from archaeological digs in the Sassi and other areas close to Matera. Domenico Ridola was a physician and senator who excavated palaeolithic and neolithic settlements in the area in the late 19th century. His passion drove him to assemble a large collection which we can see today. There are many, many ceramic items, tools, jewelry, dishes, etc. and all are nicely displayed. However, an English description would have made our perusal much more meaningful. We walked a bit through the market, but found the heat unbearable as it was yesterday. The September temperatures in Matera SHOULD be in the 70’s, not 95-100 degrees! We finally ventured out at 7 to have a lovely dinner at Mare dei Sassi, a wonderful restaurant just a few feet from our apartment. At the finish of our meal, a 12-yr.-old accordionist played several Italian tunes; when he approached our table, he broke into “When the Saints Go Marching In.” It was a perfect ending to our lovely time in a clean, safe, unique town (and did I mention that there is NO graffiti on walls here?).
On Saturday, September 19, we found that a great market was happening in Piazza Vittorio Veneto and we just had to look (and buy, the haggling is fun and the items unique—we hope). Soon it was time to retrieve our Citroen and drive to a site where we could view the Sassi from a vantage point opposite Matera. Then it was on to Alberobello, another Unesco World Heritage Site, just 35 miles away. Alberobello’s name is the derivative of Sylva Arboris Belli (literally “war tree wood”) and harkens back to the day when this area was rich in vegetation. There are traces here of human inhabitance during prehistoric times; the town began in 1635. The cone-shaped Trulli houses came about because of the building codes (no mortar), hence they were cheap to build and easy to dismantle. Today many have become shops and restaurants, but one whole section of Alberobello is composed of residential Trulli. We were impressed with the cleanliness, white paint covering all the buildings (NO graffiti), and we enjoyed the holiday flavor. To our delight, three more weddings were happening! Our new home is high above the town and we were met below by Angelo, a wonderful host. Our space is small, yet comfortable, clean and safe. Bella, bella Alberobello!
We woke to some rain on Sunday, but it quickly dissipated, so we struck out to walk Alberobello, hills and all! We explored the Museo del Territorio Casa Pezzolla, a small but thorough display of the town’s history, complete with costumes, tools, furniture, dishes. The miniature mock-up of the town is great and there was a wealth of history to be gleaned, especially of the last 400 years. We wandered around through several working class neighborhoods and happened upon an open door to a motorcycle repair shop. It was there that we met the proprietor, Gianfranco Dragone, an affable, non-English speaking elderly gentleman. We enjoyed a pleasant conversation (yes, it is possible even when you don’t totally understand one another!), exchanged cards and took a photo. We wished Mike and Frank from “American Pickers” had been with us; this place would have been picker heaven for them! In case you haven’t figured out our travel motivation, Bob and I tend to stray away from organized tours and we like to take the road “less traveled.” That way we interact with more local folks; it’s so much fun to shake hands and get those smiles! We finally arrived back at the center of the Trulli town and waited a half hour for Terminal Ristorante to open. The wait was definitely worth it; we stuffed ourselves with pasta and seafood (it took us two hours!) and waddled back home.
Rain continued the rest of the day Sunday, that night and into Monday, Sept. 21. But we were due in Ortona by Monday afternoon, so we jumped into our Citroen and hit the road. The trip was mostly highway, but we saw more olive groves, vineyards, solar panels, and wind farms than we could count. The rain soon left us and we arrived in Ortona by noon. Our airbnb reservation was for two beds and two baths, a shared kitchen and living room; there were no other guests, so it was quite nice to have it all to ourselves. After an Iper (grocery store) stop, we returned to the house and Bob concocted a spaghetti dish to die for! Then we set out to visit the Moro River Canadian cemetery nearby. By December 1943, the Italians had capitulated and were fighting for the Allies against the Germans who controlled the southern part of Italy from Naples to Ortona (west to east). The Canadians fought the Germans for most of the month of December and suffered heavy casualties. There are more than 1500 buried here, most Canadian and over 50 unknown. After that solemn visit, we drove to the Ortona harbor and beach. I never dreamed I would visit the Adriatic Sea; Bob and I have visited nearly every one of the 20 regions of Italy now in three separate trips and have enjoyed each one immensely
Tuesday, September 22, we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast thanks to Bob: scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, coffee and the arancia (red orange juice) I love so much. Then we set out to see a town called Chieti which, thanks to Lonely Planet, boasted a good archaeological museum. This turned out to be a much larger town than I thought (55,000 population) and, due to its location mostly on a mountaintop, provided a driving/parking challenge. But Bob, ever stalwart, rose to the occasion, found a parking space and we trudged onward! We stopped first at the Duomo di San Giustino, a stunning church that would become one of my favorites . After that we toured the Museo Universitario and loved the inclusion of English (of course, these are learned people!) in all the displays: dinosaurs, early man, bugs, birds, rocks, minerals. And there were “feet” throughout so you could follow the exhibits in correct order. This was a stop well worth the admission price of 3 euros. And, as we perused the shops , we found a candy shop that sold the confetti di Sulmona that we have come to love! On the way home, we took a detour to Francovilla al Mare, a Miami-style beach area with gorgeous water and a sandy coastline.
It’s been said that “All roads lead to Rome” and today that became a reality for us! We left Ortona with very detailed instructions on how to drive to Ostia (just outside Rome, a suburb actually); we had not studied them as well as we should have and did not pay enough attention to the two GPSes. Hence, after driving over 150 miles, we left the highway the wrong way and wound up in front of the Colosseum! Bob was ready to cry (I had never seen him so overwrought) and I could do nothing but try to calm him and encourage him to keep driving. You haven’t lived until you have driven on Rome’s busy streets with Vespas passing you on the right, on the left, no lanes marked, three cars abreast when there are two lanes, one-way streets everywhere, and most drivers obeying no stoplights or signs, and never giving a signal! But, somehow, God wanted us to complete this odyssey intact and he led us to Cristoforo Columbo, a main artery that brought us right to the area we wanted! Our little cottage is perfect and our friendly hosts are right next door. We fixed soup and sandwiches, watched “A Night in Old Mexico” and called it a day!
We took NO pictures yesterday, but we made up for it today! One of the top ten sights in the Rome area is Ostia Antica, founded in the 4th century B.C. At its peak in the 3rd century, it had a population of 100,000 and was quite strategic as it was located at the mouth of the Tiber River. Silt has since covered up that location. There were more than 20 bath complexes, an amphitheatre, a forum and several temples. And, of course, the remnants of shops and homes and schools, a fire station, even colleges. It boasted the oldest synagogue in Europe. In the 5th century A.D. barbarian invasions and malaria outbreaks led to its decline. Silt covered it up to the second floor and saved it forever. Bob loved the place and found it to be of more interest than Pompei. The whole complex is over 85 acres and we felt like we covered it all in the four hours we spent walking. I was just elated that we came back close enough to Rome to see it; I had wanted to see it when we were here three weeks ago but there was no time!
On Friday, September 25, we were ready for a lighter, less taxing day. We knew we had to see the Mediterranean so we drove along the shore, checking out the various beach accesses. There is definitely more sand here than we had seen on the Adriatic side and, of course, lots of people! We finally decided to stop and explore a spot that reminded us of the Venice jetties back at home. Two men were busy dredging the sand from the inlet, pumping it across to the beach side. We watched several boats come and go, took a few pics, made one more grocery store stop (our favorite place) and came home. We love this little cottage in Ostia: cozy, well-equipped, quiet and no steps! A friendly dog who greets us when we return through the remote-controlled gate and a talking cat make it even more attractive. We are actually staying in an area called Infernetto which translates “little hell” but we would dispute that description!
For our final foray into the unknown, I talked Bob into venturing out to see Tivoli! And we were sooo happy that we made the effort! There are not one, but two Unesco World Heritage Sites here: Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana. The first is too stunning for words; it is set on a hilltop in Tivoli with steeply terraced lush gardens and more than 500 gravity-fed fountains . One is the Bernini-designed Fountain of the Organ which actually has an organ located behind a door; it opens and plays tunes, all fed by the force of water! The villa was originally a Benedictine convent which was converted into a pleasure palace by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in 1550. The first floor is filled with opera costumes, props, miniatures and great videos of Italian opera (I may have to become an opera fan!). Bob was absolutely taken with the upper floor which was decorated with splendidly decorated walls and ceilings . He relished taking pictures of the intricately detailed frescoes. After a great lunch with cool temperatures in this mountain town, we ventured to Villa Adriana by bus because we were not certain of the parking situation. This one is situated three miles outside Tivoli and was built between 118 and 134 as a summer residence for Emperor Hadrian. It covers 300 acres, so to call it vast is an understatement! Hadrian took inspiration from the Greeks and Egyptians in the plan of this production as he was quite a traveler, to sa unfortunately, the museum was closed but we were able to study a wonderful miniature of the whole villa.
Our last two days were lazy and relaxing. Of course, the major chore was the packing. Thank goodness we are finally learning to travel light (we have to at our age--72 and 61!). We are looking forward to home, yet we are leaving Italy with heavy hearts. I call it "an adult Disneyworld on steroids!" However, Cristian Bonetto, a Lonely Planet writer, summed it up with much more class. He wrote: "Italy is the ultimate dream date, impossibly good-looking, impeccably cultured and obscenely good in the kitchen. Endlessly inspiring and naturally flirtatious, it will leave you swooning long after that bittersweet 'Arrivederci.'"

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