Ciao from Italy

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The longest way around is definitely not the shortest way home. In Doha the bus took 10 minutes to get to a hotel 500m away while in Rome the GPS made us drag all of our luggage 2 km to get to a hotel 200m from the station! Then in Venezia last night, the ticket lady for the boat bus told us which stop for us to get off and after more dragging of luggage, this time up and down bridges and through a maze of tiny lanes, we discovered a stop right outside the hotel!

For our first 5 days in Italy, we hired a great little Fiat 500 for hacking around the countryside of Molise, an area with little medieval towns perched on top of hills. The car even managed a day’s trip to the snow. New Years Eve was celebrated at our gorgeous little hotel. From 8 to 12.30, the chef brought out course after course after course of meat and pasta with not a vegetable to be seen. The meal included 2 bottles of wine, a local red and a magnificent brut spumante. We set a new record for one load of washing - $65. Quite a comparison to the $2 it once cost us in Saigon. Should we have asked “Quanto costa?”?

In Florence, we stayed in a spacious apartment in the old town. With 2 bedrooms, huge lounge and kitchen, we lived like royalty. Our legs are still rather sore from climbing up numerous hills and towers: Catholics like to build their churches and sanctuaries on the tops of hills. We’re voting for David and the Rape of Sabine Woman as the 2 greatest sculptures ever created but are unable to answer the question ‘just how many renaissance pictures can be painted in one renaissance?

We managed day trips to Cinque Terra via Pisa, and to Assisi; more climbing of hills and towers. The simplicity of the lifestyle propagated by St Francis seems to have been overtaken by vast, ostentatious buildings; impressive all the same!

We are now in a frantically upmarket hotel overlooking the Grand Canal, all at dramatically reduced January prices.

Arrivederci!

Alan and Cherryll

(more photos below)

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Photos

Singapore
Outside our favourite gelato shop

Molise
The view from our front door

Sapaernium
The ancient Roman road.

Naples
Looking for our retirement home. Didn't like the colour.

Firenze
Up the Duomo.

Firenze
Down the Duomo.

Firenze
Epiphany Pageant.

Cinque Terre - Manarola
Up yet another hill.

Cinque Terre - Vernaza
Searching for more gelato.

Tower of Pisa
Which way is up?

Firenze
Alan and friends.

Firenze
Cherryll and the Bagman.

Venezia
Do you like our wallpaper?