Warey

And so it is that all roads eventually lead us back here and we must start listing off our ‘lasts’ as we head home. Last morning at the villa, last rally drive down the hill and last visit to a hilltop town…until next time! An early start to pack and get everything sorted, especially the mountain of garbage and empty bottles!! Goodbyes to all our flat mates of the last week and we were off down the freeway to Orvieto, via our last coffee at the autogrill. Another parking arrangement with the marriage in tact and we were off up the hill to Orvieto. Another beautiful town with photo opportunities at every turn. However the highlight was undoubtedly the cathedral - absolutely stunning! I’m not normally a huge fan of religious buildings, but the pope who ... read more

My meticulous and stringent planning didn’t exactly work on the clan today and I couldn’t get anyone to commit to any lake-based activities. And it’s unusual for me to say this, but just as well, cause honestly, the lake kind of sucked. Crystal clear and idyllic it was not. Murky and kind of wee-temperatured it was. After deciding it was too hot for biking to wineries, we thought a nice swim might be in order. Having (wisely) rejected the idea of boating, the others decided to embark on some SUPping and kayaking. We finally arrived at the shore, only to be underwhelmed by what was on offer - a silty smelly shoreline, green murky water and a dead fish floating by for good measure. We tried some kayaking and the girls went on the SUP but ... read more

After the excitement and adrenaline of yesterday (hmm ok, and wine), Sunday was always going to be a day of rest. Had a nice relaxing sleep in before venturing in to Umbertide for a coffee (accompanied by boa constrictor) and some supplies. Home for lunch, lots of jumping/wall walking competitions in the pool and the great pizza creation began. Much poking was necessary, obviously, and, building on the lessons of the pizzaiolo from Gassino, much throwing of semolina. The oven proved challenging to get to the right temperature so there was some dissatisfaction with the dough, but the masses didn’t seem to mind. Some ventured in to Perugia for some jazz…and some had an early night. Up the next morning to greet the cooking lady who had come unstuck rally driving in, and despite help, was ... read more

There’s been a lot in the media lately about how crowded and horrible Italy is at the moment with throngs of tourists etc etc. But we seemed to find ourselves far away from all of that in a beautiful little pocket of Tuscany just over the border from Liguria. We started our journey from Turin and ventured to Albenga to visit with Franca and Luciano. Irene was also there enjoying the seaside with her grandparents. It was lovely to see them and all the girls enjoyed a swim in the sea while I dusted off my Italian and chatted with Franca. We had a quick lunch at the beach and then dropped in on Luciano who was resting at home, not in the best health. We shared some funny memories of when I’d stayed with them ... read more

Considering we were in these parts, we thought we’d make the effort to see what all the fuss about Porto was for. So, amidst howls of protest, we packed up early and headed to the airport to leave the car, in a tactic designed to minimise stress and parking angst. Unfortunately the architects of the Porto Airport parking areas had different ideas and we enjoyed several scenic excursions around the airport. Finally having managed to leave the car, we grabbed a taxi into the city. The next 20 minutes were a blur for me as I frantically tried to contain the mad canine escapee from the other side of the world. When I emerged from that stress, I miraculously found I’d been steered towards a tart shop. What a great way to see out our time ... read more