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Published: October 23rd 2006
This blog is getting a bit behind, we are about 3 towns to catch up so its probably getting disjointed.
We are now in the beautiful little town in central Italy called Montecatini which is our jumpimg off point tomorrow for a day trip into Florence. More on that later. But now back to when we left Capri.
We departed the Isle of capri early in the morning - the whole area enveloped in thick sea fog so didnt see anything of our 40 minute crossing back to Napoli (Naples). Naples is a huge busy dirty port with drab waterside old buildings and very poor-looking buildings with laundry hanging out the windows. Some homeless were sleeping out on mattresses in the street as we drove by on our bus. Crime rate here is very high. As always, a huge ancient medieval fortress looms up out of the whole mess and photos are taken.
We move on towards the north of Italy.
We briefly have roadside comfort stops (coffee and loos). Plenty of Autogrills here which are like big flash roadhouses. Always a long queue for the ladies loo - usually an attendant with gloved hand waiting for 50 cents
or more which we gladly pay for clean facilities. Some of our group are having trouble coming to terms with the Italian custom of no toilet seats and the first Asian-style "squats" we encountered the other day in a rural area had them really in fits!
We stopped at Cassino where the Allied Forces WWII cemetery is laid out. Those who follow military history will recall that it was here at the monastery of Cassino, on top of a small mountain, that the British, Canadian and other combined forces finally took the German-held stronghold which blocked the Allied advance up into Italy. Several movies have been made about this episode along the lines of "Where Eagles Dare" and other such classics. The graves of those who fell here are laid out in beautifully kept gardens, quite sobering to read the young ages of the soldiers on the headstones.
In the pic showing the graves, the old monastry can just be seen on top of the mountain. This was where a strong German force was holding up any allied advance. The area saw very bitter and protracted fighting on both sides.
Continued on our way via several stops up
Classe
Basilica of St. Apollinaris. Sheep mosaics.to Assissi. Our route taking us through the mountain passes in Umbria was beautiful - spectacular sweeping viaducts through steep hills and valleys all starting to turn Autumn colours - its a perfect time to be in Italy. One of the basilicas near where we stopped for a delicious local lunch had the most amazing mosaics ( you & Michelle would love this Bron & so would Sally as the mosaics featured sheep!) Not just your ordinary small flat mosaics mind you - a huge dome about half the size of Burswood and about 60ft above the floor with a green field full of sheep in a biblical scene. Gilt (real gold) and ceramics feature extensively throughout and the marble columns and floors are just something else to behold. The frescoes and paintings on the walls simply leave you breathless considering their age (many centuries old, sometimes more than 1000 yrs).
Assissi is a stunning medieval town on the side of a steep hill with the huge Basilica of St Francis of Assissi towering above it. We know we go on & on about these medieval towns but each one seems more fascinating than the last - Adrian couldnt
stop photographing alleys, doors, archways and facades. We had a guided tour through the basilica along with hundreds of other tourists and pilgrims - there is a constant stream to this religious centre all year round (many pet-owners bring their dogs or cats collars or tags to be blessed by St Francis as he is the patron saint of animals!)
We had a lovely evening in a new hotel in Assissi with sunset views over the town below.
Will finish here tonight as next blog is Venice - a specail case all by itself.
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