Blogs from Italy, Europe - page 1625

Overland 1972 - Day 20

Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome March 2nd 1972

Day 20 - Thursday 2nd March. The challenge today is to travel to Ancona on the east coast. The route is not particularly obvious but anyway it always depends on the luck of the lifts being offered. I left the hostel at 10am. The first lift drove me to the Ring Road and almost immediately a second lift to the autostrade. However I was dropped at a quite difficult spot as there were two prostitutes hanging around and a line of other hitch-hikers. After a walk further along the road, a car stopped and after much map pointing it appeared that he was heading in the right direction. Unfortunately the driver did not speak English or French and so it was a quiet journey just enjoying the scenery. The route was slightly rural as we drove ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 19

Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome March 1st 1972

Trolley

Day 19 - Wednesday 1st March Another day just for sightseeing. I decided that it was probably best to look around by myself so that I could concentrate on my own preferences and after waiting 20 minutes in the foyer, there was still no sign of Michael and Heather and so I left the Hostel and headed into Rome to St Peters Square. The Vatican is awe inspiring and simply amazing with its pillars, the overall superstructure and the statues. Inside the building is so very beautifully decorated especially its primary altars. The work of Bernini, the statue of St Peter, Michelangelo's Deity and the prayer chapel with St Peter kneeling before an altar. Just amazing architecture and paintings. Next stop the Vatican Museum for 500 Lira but unfortunately it closes at 2pm whereas you could ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 18

Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome February 29th 1972

Trolley

Day 18 - Wednesday 29th February A full day in Rome and with so many sights it seemed best to buy a guidebook - 600 Lira. First of all, must head to Poste Restante to collect any post (good there were three letters) and post off the completed film (alas no developed photographs were ever received). Places visited: Spanish Steps - not over impressed although a nice fountain and lots of artists to watch. Trevi Fountain - grand structure but slightly spoilt as unfortunately there was no water ! Victor Emmanuel Monument - a gleaming grand structure and really impressive. Walked to the top for an excellent view. Roman Forum - closed but some areas were visible through the hoardings. Capitol - government headquarters in old Rome and of course, the Romulus and Remus statue. Colosseum ... read more

Overlad 1972 - Day 17

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence February 28th 1972

Trolley

Day 17 - Tuesday 28th February Left the Youth Hostel at 10am to start the 175 mile journey to Rome. The local bus route took us close to the autostrade but surprisingly charged us extra for our rucksacks. Today was a "hitch alone" day. After an hour, a brilliant piece of luck as I was picked up by a 30 ish year old very smart looking lady in a sports car and as an added bonus she was travelling to Rome. She was secretary to the American ambassador but surprisingly we conversed in French (in my case simple schoolboy French). She kindly helped me improve my Italian concentrating wisely on the key areas of days, numbers and food - at least I would now have a better level of pronunciation! The scenery for the journey was ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 16

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence February 27th 1972

Trolley

Day 16 - Sunday 27th February Breakfast at the hostel was 150 Lira for rolls, jam and coffee. This is only the second time that I have stayed in the same place for a second day and so at last some proper time for sightseeing. So here goes. Unfortunately it rained nearly all day. Medici Chapel - with its four sculptures by Michelangelo of the four times of day. Medici Riccardi Palace - with its frescoes of the three kings. Baptistry of San Giovanni - with its three gates of paradise and biblical scenes in gold. The Cathedral - with its beautiful frontage and tower but we did not go in because there was a service taking place. Palazzo Vecchio (old palace) -closed at noon ! Uffigi Gallery - ceilings just so beautiful : Michaelangelo, Boticelli ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 15

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Pisa February 26th 1972

Trolley

Day 15 - Sunday 26th February As we should have arrived in Florence by now, we only have a short time to look around Pisa. It is a beautiful city and fortunately we are already in the centre by the Leaning Tower. The Cathedral is especially stunning and inside you cannot help but be inspired by its paintings, its ceiling and the wood carvings. We ate our lunch by the very picturesque River Arno and then at noon decided to start our hitching. Pisa looked very special and clearly we did not do justice to its charm (must add to list of cities to visit later in life). The first lift in a Fiat drove us to the autostrade. Good fortune followed as the next lift was going all the way to Florence - not such ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 14

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Varese February 25th 1972

Trolley

Day 14 - Friday 25th February A very pleasant night's sleep and up early for the adventure ahead. Breakfast was not too expensive for a hotel costing 600 Lira but in itself breakfast was 40% of a normal day's spend. Then disaster - we waited until 11am but no Porsche arrived - had the driver been forced to change his plans or was he just leading us on ! We had to pay for the hotel room at 2450 Lira (£1= 1550) and to add to injury, we were on the wrong side of Milan for the route to Florence. Oh well chin up - off we walk in the direction of the autostrade. The first lift in a very small Fiat helped us to the main road where we were picked up by another Fiat ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 13

Europe » Italy » Trentino Alto Adige » Trento February 24th 1972

Trolley

Day 13 - Thursday 24th February Unfortunately the Youth Hostel did not have a cafeteria and so Heather and I had to find someway local to eat - no problem though only the language. We started hitching at 10am and the first lift drove us 16 miles to Roverto and after a two hour wait, the next lift drove us 7Km further down the road but left us away from the town. Only one car stopped but it was too small to cope with our rucksacks. Eventually a lift to Verona and it was 3pm - 5 hours for 60 miles was not what you call very good progress. Unfortunately we were left on the wrong side of Verona and all of the cars which stopped were going to either Milan or Brescia - west of ... read more

In the Footsteps of the Cast of Ben Hur

Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome May 30th 1964

Trevi Fountain

DaveandIssy

1964 Diary Entry "The next morning we started to pack for that day we were leaving for Rome. At about 12 o'clock we caught a taxi to the airport. When we got there we had our baggage checked, had our passports stamped and then we went to the flight waiting room. At about 1 o'clock we were called into the aircraft. Then about ten minutes later we took off. We slowly rose to about 37,000 feet and there we levelled off. By that time we were over Italy. Then we started to go down and about ten minutes later we landed in Rome. There we went through passport control, health and customs and then a man in a private car drove us to the Excelsior Hotel. There we were shown to our room. After seeing it ... read more

Brief history of Italy

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis...more history

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