2geonomads

Up at 7.30 after far too little sleep ( thank you messrs Djokovic and Nadal )
Short drive to Maharau where we pick up Aqua Water Taxi to Awaroa. Novel way of getting the boat into the water as we board the boat at the ticket office and this is then towed by tractor down to the shoreline. The tractor then reverses into deeper water, unhooks the boat and weare on our way.
Special treat as we sight seals on rocky outcrop before arriving at Awaroa Bay,a real jewel of a location. Awaroa Lodge tucked away in the bush and Tony in reception very welcoming. We have been upgraded to the Kotuku unit ( named after an endangered bird species of which only 150 remain ).
Set off on short walk to Awaroa Inlet, which high tide prevents us from crossing,and on way meet 3 Kiwis , one of whom tries to tell me that the line he has drawn in the sand indicates sacred Maori territory.I tell him I’m crossing over it anyway so he will just have to shoot me. His response- “I don’t have a gun so I just offer you a beer!” I refuse this but we do have a good chat about a number of no doubt trivial matters.
Wonderful sight on way back when we come across a huge group of oystercatchers ( of the bird variety ) lined up on the beach waiting for the supermarket to open on the incoming tide ( as a ranger later put it so drolly ).
Lovely dinner at the Lodge and then off to bed with a selection of books about John Eales, Ayrton Senna and the All Blacks.
A great day to start off our stay in the Abel Tasman NP.
The Obese Ferret

Lovely brekkie served up by Theo ( wife Anna away tramping, as the Kiwis like to call bushwalking ).
Head off at 10.30 for fairly long drive north to Motueka at the southern end of the Abel Tasman Nat Park.Weather improves as we travel further north although the sandflies are a real pest whenever we stop for a short break.
Pies for lunch at a small cafe in Murchison which are surprisingly tasty in spite of their suspiciously yellow pastry. Arrive in Motueka about 3.00 and first up take walk along estuary before stocking up on provisions for next couple of days.
Thai take-away for dinner which we eat back at the Equestrian Motel, excellently run by a Alan and Lisa, a couple from the east Midlands in the UK.
G cranky re. inability to send email to Belinda on our travel plans for next year. Problem solved by my sending an SMS. Sometimes long for the days of carrier pigeons or smoke signals.
I stay awake late to see Robert Rock ( from Rugeley, my birthplace ) keep Tiger Woods and Rory McIroy at bay to win the tournament in Abu Dhabi.Aus Open not on TV at motel ( budget does not stretch to Skysports 3 ).Go to sleep with the score at 5-7,6-4,6-2,6-6 in favour of Djokovic v Nadal. Little did I know that the drama had only just started!
The Obese Ferret.

Good flight Melbourne to Christchurch if a bit bumpy coming in to land.
Do not linger in Christchurch but head north to Hanmer Springs which is very reminiscent of an alpine town. The Mira Monte B & B is delightful and the host Theo is very welcoming, offering tea and home-made cake on arrival.
Dinner at Jolly Jacks in town excellent but nowhere to see the Aus Open tennis final between Azarenka and Sharapova. In electronic terms NZ very much behind the terms and will suggest to airport authorities that they put a sign up for incoming passengers ” welcome to New Zealand- please put your clocks back 20 years!”
On the credit side our drive north serves to remind us what a beautiful country this is.
Early to bed to overcome the 5 hours time difference.

The Obese Ferret.

I am up early to walk down to the Trevi Fountain before the Madding Crowd arrives and what a delight it is to enjoy this great monument in peace and quiet.

Breakfast, a quick phone call to Craig, check out from the hotel and then set off on the long walk, past the magnificent Vittorio Emanuele 11 monument, to the statue of Garibaldi, high above the city in Il Gianicolo garden. A very strenuous climb was rewarded by a panoramic view of Rome and from this vantage point it comes as a surprise to see that The Vittorio Emanuele Monument is in fact higher than virtually all other buildings in the city, with the exception of St Peter’s.

Easier walk back down to St Peter’s square but time constraints mean that we have no hope of getting into the cathedral itself. Noticeable how many large-scale posters/photographs there are of the late Pope John Paul all around Rome and elsewhere in Italy and how they appear to represent the huge affection and devotion felt for this man compared to the current pontiff.

Back to the hotel for transport to the airport. Flight delayed due to bad weather in Frankfurt but one hour later we are off on a very bumpy flight.

Our 2 month stay in various parts of Europe has been truly memorable so it’s now time to start planning our next adventure. G has already guaranteed that it will NOT include a 310 kms bike ride!

The Obese Ferret signing off until he can next bore you all to tears.

To those people who have followed the blog- a big ‘thank you’. To everybody else- I can’t help it if you don’t appreciate literary genius when you see it!

Lovely breakfast and then it’s off on our walking tour of one of the world’s great cities, even with the hordes of tourists.

First port of call is The Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, shopping of the window and real variety and then continue to the architectural wonder, the Pantheon and thence to our favourite square in Rome, the Piazza Navona. Quick visit to Castel Sant’Angelo and St Peter’s ( both from the outside only ) and then it’s back to P. Navona for a long-overdue drink at one of the many bars. While here we meet up with a very friendly couple, Neil, originally from Liverpool but now living in Dussledorf and his partner, Marta, born in Poland but now settled in Frankfurt.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours with them and exchanged details for possible contact in the future. Neil is one of the few English fellows who doesn’t support Man U ( he follows Everton ) so he can’t be all that bad.

To finish off a super day it’s back to the same restaurant where we had dined the previous day, Spiriti e Forme, and the very fine meal served certainly justified our decision to make a return visit.

A real bonus before we go back to the hotel. I had noticed on a board in Piazza Navona that Jose Carreras was due to give a free concert on the Spanish Steps that evening in honour of Pavarotti and so it was that for about 45 minutes we were treated to a performance from one of the tenor greats, in a magical location. Although brought to a premature end by heavy rain it was an evening to remember.

Can’t let a day go by without a ‘Gail’ moment.
I was discussing with G what the other members of the Berwick group would be doing by now and when we got to Chris and Ernie Gail stated with confidence ( she always does ) that they would be taking Emma to Pisa before going on to Bologna. I questioned why they would be returning to Bologna after Pisa and Gail, getting quite feisty, said that they happened to love that area. It still escaping me why they would travel so far east again after Tuscany, Gail, by now exasperated with yours truly, explained it was because they love Beaune and that area.

G was in fact confusing Bologna with Burgundy, an understandable mistake as they both begin with B and are both in Europe!

The Obese Ferret

Say our goodbyes to Samantha in the office of La Porta ( we had already said cheerio to Marcello and Nunzio Marcelli, the owner the evening before ) and head off down the valley to the largest town in the area, Sulmona. Surrounded by some very high peaks, Sulmona’s main claim to fame is as the birthplace of the classical poet, Ovid. It also proves to be one of the more impressive provincial towns we have seen in Abruzzo, with a great atmosphere, a magnificent main square and for once an official at the tourist office who went out of his way to provide us with detailed information, not only on Sulmona, but also on Abruzzo in general. Such assistance had been noticeably absent from all other tourist offices in Italy. Last port of call in Sulmona is the world famous Confetti Pelino factory which was founded in 1783. Sulmona is now the centre of the almond confetti business,as evidenced by the huge number of confetti retailers throughout the city.

After a couple of hours in this delightful city we head off on the trip west to the Eternal City.
The drive proves to be uneventful although the weather takes a real turn for the worse during the afternoon.

Gail and I had decided to keep our rental car until the Sunday when we were due to fly out to Frankfurt and then on to Singapore. We had told ourselves that we could park the car near to our hotel and this would give us more flexibility should we wish to travel to sights outside of Rome. Tom Tom would have it all under control and it would all be very straightforward.
All went well until we arrived at the Colloseum and found that the police had sealed off the area leading to where our hotel was located. This was not on our agenda and poor old Tom had certainly not factored it into his calculations. After more than an hour of going round in circles and seeing some of Rome’s greatest monuments at least 3 times we admitted defeat, offloaded the car at the airport, and took a cab into the White Hotel near the Trevi Fountain. To our surprise we discovered that we had been within 50 metres of the hotel at least a couple of times during our Tom Tom confusion period. What happened to a good old map rather than relying on Tom whose performance had dipped markedly after we changed the voice from Australian to an Irish accent!

Hotel in great location and very friendly staff. Walk down to the Trevi Fountain and were staggered by the unbelievable number of tourists. We had never seen Rome this busy before and decided to find refuge in a lovely nearby restaurant serving quality food in a relatively quiet side-street.

Early night after planning our walking tour of Rome the next day.

The Obese Ferret.

Leave part of the wooden shutters to our room open so we wake up a lot earlier than has been the case for some time. Fairly leaden skies to start with but the forecast is for variable weather for most of the day.

Breakfast very basic but quality locally baked bread, home-made jam and ricotta cheese are ideal after considerable gluttony at last agriturismo in Peschici.

Spend some time booking a hotel near the Trevi Fountain for our last 2 nights in Rome and then walk down to the nearby village of Asverna. This turns out to be a real surprise and larger than expected. After the obligatory coffee in the square we saunter round the historic centre of this beautifully kept village.

Shortly after our arrival on the previous day we had observed a small town sitting precariously atop a high ridge behind Asverna and assumed that this was the much-vaunted town of Scanno at an altitude of 1080 metres. We, therefore, set off in the car along yet another breathtaking mountain road with yours truly psyching himself up to tackle the switchbacks. Soon find out that this town is in fact called Castrovalva and Scanno is in fact some 15 kms to the south through the awesome Gola del Sagittario, a very deep gorge through which the Sagittario river runs. The river has been damned to form the Lago di Scanno further up the gorge and the road hugs the cliff face in another of the engineering feats which have become all too familiar to us in Italy.

Some kms up the gorge we see in the distance a beautiful hilltop town which we assume again is Scanno. Wrong again! This is Villalago and its unbelievable position high above the gorge surpasses anything we have seen before. We take a quick detour into this wonderful small town and we are rewarded with a torrential downpour which in no way diminishes our enthusiasm for this unheralded gem of a town.

Now the news you have all been waiting for- yes we do arrive at Scanno which has become a real tourist centre in recent years. Put on the map by the Photographer Cartier-Bresson during WW Two who was fascinated by the traditional dresses of the local ladies Scanno is now expanding at a rapid rate, with many Alpine-style hotels and apartments springing up. Sadly, the dresses seem to have become more of a feature in a bi-annual festival although one can still see some of the more elderly ladies in the traditional garb going about their daily business.

Another exhilarating drive takes us back to the Agri and we resist the temptation ( not very strong on my part ) to tackle the very daunting drive up to Castrovalva. Decide to visit the nearby town of Cocullo whose main claim to fame is its May Processione dei Serpari which involves some intrepid characters adorning the statue of San Domenico with jewels, banknotes and live snakes. The procession has pagan origins so not sure as to when or why poor old San Dom was roped into the bizarre ritual. Marcello at the Agri had suggested that we spend some time at the museum in town which is mainly devoted to this annual event. Unfortunately, like much of Italy during this twilight period before the true season starts, it was closed. Maybe it will be open again the next day in time for it to close again for its lengthy siesta!

For once a lightish meal at the agri restaurant ( only 3 courses ! ) and in bed by 10.00 pm.

Gail moment of the day- During a walk near the River Sagittario we come across some people having a picnic lunch. Gail remarks that “ perhaps we could have a picnic here too, if only we had brought something to eat with us!”. Travel with NGI is never boring.

More tomorrow when we arrive in The Eternal City.

The Obese Ferret.

As arranged the night before we have a chat with the two Kiwis, Martin and Lisa, after breakfast and try to give them some travel tips on the area. Next 90 minutes spent catching up on blogs but we leave La Chiusa at noon after a great stay at this high quality establishment. Say goodbye to Francesco, the owner, who often reminds us of Manuel from Fawlty Towers with his high octane activity, and his wife who kindly sends us off with a packed lunch of pizza slices and cherries.

Leaving Peschici we decide to take a minor road, staying as close as possible to the seafront. Reasonable chain of beaches but the whole area looks somewhat neglected. Maybe the arrival of the season proper will transform the various waterfront communities but we are not overly optimistic.

As we travel northeast towards Termoli the heavens open and this torrential rain continues until after we turn west at Pescara in the direction of the Abruzzo National Park. As we approach Sulmona, birthplace of the classical poet Ovid, the scenery becomes increasingly mountainous and the main Pescara to Rome road becomes an elevated freeway clinging to the edge of the mountain slope.
We arrive at our Agriturismo, La Porta dei Parchi, at about 4.00 pm and move into our basic but comfortable apartment. This is very much your back-to-basics agriturismo set against a backdrop of very rugged mountains and with a clear view to the hilltop town of Scanno at 1050 metres- a destination for the next day.
Basic but tasty dinner at the agriturismo restaurant, after which we are off to bed at 10.00, tired after a long and fairly demanding drive in foul weather for much of the journey.

The Obese Ferret

Another sunny day so it’s off to the main tourist town of Gargano,Vieste, this time by the more major route 89.

Vieste shows all the signs of being another town not quite ready for the usual tourist onslaught and we struggle to find a cafe offering snacks and coffee. We steer clear of heavier lunches as we know the type of meals provided in the evening at La Chiusa.

Vieste, again with ‘Greek’ white buildings and quaint narrow streets, is at its best in the glorious sunshine and from the vantage point of the castle we are able to look down on many thousands more beach umbrellas and tables. The size of the carparks behind the beach gives an indication of the hordes who obviously invade the town during the summer.

One memorable monument in Vieste is the Pietra Amara ( Bitter Stone ) where 7000 local citizens were beheaded by the Turkish army. Leaving town with that sobering thought in mind we head south along the coast to superb bays such as La Testa di Gargano and Pugnochiuso ( closed fist ). Unfortunately, as with most bays along this coastline they have been taken over by large hotel groups and are no longer accessible to mere mortals such as ourselves. We did, however, find a small pebbly beach at Cala di Pergola which had escaped the notice of the corporate world and was far from the madding crowd.

Dinner back at La Chiusa where we meet up with New Zealand couple who ask if they can pick our brains on the area at breakfast next morning. Delighted to oblige as these are first people we have met for some time who recognize that we have any brains.

Gailism of the day- while driving along late in the day Gail says “ May I turn off the air-conditioning, Oh,I just have!” That’s what I call a consensus-style decision-making!

The Obese Ferret

Superb breakfast on a beautiful sunny day. Set off to walk along Peschici beach to the small port area and then climb steps up to the delightful historic town centre. As always the beach is covered with the ubiquitous beach umbrellas and tables but by Italian standards it is one of the better beaches. The town itself, with its white buildings, is more reminiscent of those on the Greek islands and we still have the feeling that most small business people are still in preparation mode before the true season starts in mid-June.

Stop at cafe for gelati and coffee and meet up with Bernd and Leanne who had followed the same route as ourselves up to Peschici after the previous day nearly killing themselves by taking the longer walk along the road into the hilltop town. The son of the owner of the cafe, proudly brings out some free samples of his mamma’s biscotti for us to try and later presents said mamma to the public assembled in the outside eating area. Maybe he is one of the ‘Mammoni’ ( mummy’s boys who stay at home well after they have left their teenage years behind or even constantly return home after they are married ). This trend is apparently on the increase in Italy.

Decide to take an afternoon drive through the Forestra Umbra( Shady Forest) and then proceed to Monte Sant’Angelo where St Michael the Archangel is supposed, in AD490,to have appeared before the Bishop of Siponto. The Sanctuario di San Michele, set in a mountain town which overlooks the south coast of the Gargano is now a tourist magnet for many. Whilst it is something a mini Lourdes there is no disputing the splendour of the church carved out in a huge grotto.

The tomb of the other target of religious devotion, Padre Pio, the world’s most marketed monk as per the Lonely Planet, is to be found at San Giovanni Rotondo, some 20 kms to the east of Monte Sant’Angelo. We decided that one pilgrimage was enough and had to satisfy ourselves with seeing ‘Pizza al Taglio Padre Pio’ ( Padre Pio Pizza by the slice ). Who said Italians don’t have a sense of style and history!

The drive back down to the coast from Monte Sant’Angelo is breathtaking and the subsequent drive along the coast back to Peschici ( not all of it intentional as we fell prey at one point to Italy’s idiosyncratic road signs.) takes us along some spectacular coastal scenery.

After consecutive days driving on such windy roads my artificial is feeling and looking a bit the worse for wear but another lovely meal back at La Chiusa in the company of Bernd and Leanne soon puts matters right.

The Obese Ferret

Ordinary breakfast then head northeast towards the Adriatic.

Scenery fairly grand but not on a par with other areas that we have seen in Italy. Arrival at the Adriatic is very disappointing and the port town of Termoli is seemingly closed for the day. However, we do manage to find a bar near the train station for a panino and drink.

The coastal strip from Termoli to Peschici is flat, boring and not a very good advertisement for the Adriatic.
Things take a real turn for the better as we approach the Promontorio di Gargano and we start to appreciate why this part of the world is regarded as one of Italy’s finest areas.

Arrive at Agriturismo La Chiusa dell More ( The Enclosure of the Blackberries ) which is situated a short distance from the beach and turns out to be by far the most up-market agri we have stayed at during our trip. A property set amongst olive groves, superb rooms, a very genial host Francesco and as we later find out the most fantastic cuisine.

After long day decide to book dinner at the agri and the 4 course meal, cooked by Francesco’s wife is an absolute delight. Meet up with a German couple, Bernd and Leanne from Berlin spend an enjoyable and entertaining 2 hours before heading off to be somewhat bloated but content.

The Obese Ferret

Up early to see Mike and Gay Fuller leave at 7.30 am exactly. ( Gay is very punctual and manages to get a semi-comatose Mike into the car on time )
After breakfast we say cheerio to Cath and Ian, George and Di and Mick,Frances and Bridie, all of whom are taking the bus to Florence before onward journeys to various parts of Italy.

One last walk up to the Sports Bar for a coffee with the Fuller family and then head off south towards Rome after what has been a great week catching up with friends at a wonderful location. We could not have asked for more from the week at Barberino in Chianti and hats off to Chris and Ernie for all of their hard work in ensuring a good time was had by all.

Take Autostrada south past Rome, stopping only once along the way for a power nap as we are both feeling fairly tired.
 Arrive at Cassino and book into La Selva Agriturismo which is an authentic agriturismo , complete with a very old nonna, donkeys, sheep, a peacock and roosters. Somewhat alarmed when we see a banner with ‘Tanti Auguri Giuseppe’ on it and tables being set out for a festa. We are starting to envisage a sleepless night with festivities going on till the early hours of the morning. However, sitting in the adjacent restaurant, we discover that Giuseppe is in fact celebrating his first birthday and by 8.00 pm all the guests are leaving!

Watch the Europeans League Final with Barcelona winning 3-1 over Man U and providing further evidence that they are the best club side in the world at present. Even well-known Man U fans, Alex Ferguson and Ian Smith acknowledge their superiority on the night.

La Selva is hardly a luxury establishment but it is in a spectacular setting under the mountain on which is perched the remarkable Abbazzia di Montecassino. This can be reached by driving up a switchback road but I have by now reverted to a vertigo wimp so decide to give this a miss.

In bed fairly early to the sound of the donkeys neighing in the pen outside our rather modest little cabin.

The Obese Ferret

Craig’s 35th birthday! Makes us both feel old.

Usual coffee at Sports Bar and then back to house for lunch, accompanied by too much alcohol.

Weather starts to cool down and the wind gets up a little, casting some doubt on our decision for the whole group to eat outdoors at a restaurant in Barberino. I walk up to town to discuss the situation with the owner who I had hoped might have some local knowledge on the weather patterns. Sadly he appeared  to have had a customer service by-pass operation and offers no guidance whatsoever. He simply says ” it’s your decision” to which I was tempted to respond by saying ” yes it is and we have decided to eat somewhere else!”. Eventually decide to stick to our original plan to dine on terrace overlooking valley.

Return to house to phone Craig with birthday greetings but he is a bit tied up at some function ( maybe a pub). Craig phones back later but is seemingly by now too inebriated to have a long discussion with the oldies but it is good to catch up with the young man on his 35th.

Set off up to the town for dinner ,with some trepidation after the performance of mine host earlier in the day. In the event, a very enjoyable meal was had by all the proprietor is on his very best behaviour. It’s amazing what the prospect of a very healthy financial return will do to one’s humour. Andrew and David Fuller share a huge T-bone which is apparently beautifully cooked.

Back at the house most guests are off to bed early as they all leave at the crack of dawn next morning. However, a few hardy souls share some Limoncino which we had bought in Montefalco a week earlier.

Pack our bags and get to bed, ready for departure next morning.

The Obese Ferret

More sun!

Coffee in town at our now favourite sports bar but apart from that a quiet day at the pool and around the villa eagerly anticipating the dinner being cooked for us by outside caterers in the evening.

Everyone makes an effort to to look almost presentable for the dinner with the ladies in particular in their finery. As his her wont Gail wants to take a photo of the whole group on auto delay and in my haste to assist with a surface on which to place the camera I lift up a small marble table to place it on the lawn only to find that I have lifted only the top- result one broken marble table top and a 66 year old guy’s pride badly dented. The good news was that my artificial knee suffered no damage and most of the group thought that it was part of a well-planned ,if pathetic, comedy routine.

A superb dinner was had by all with the usual amount of imbibing taking place but for once the numbers dwindled surprisingly quickly and all were in bed at a more respectable time than had hitherto been the case. Either we are running out of steam or we are all starting to act our age.

Doug and Brenda say cheerio to everyone as they leave at 4.00 am the next day for St Petersburg and nobody seems interested in getting up to see them off.

The Obese Ferret

Still the glorious weather continues.

As it is the turn of the Smiths /Irelands to cook dinner we have a quiet morning although it does include the obligatory coffee in Barberino town centre and a quick side trip to visit the local church to view yet another
Mummified saint. Unfortunately, in this case the mummy looks more like a piece of charcoal in the shape of a human and he doesn’t look at all well!

Afternoon sees us off to the Pam supermarket in Poggiponsi to stock up on provisions for the evening meal. The duties are split with Ian doing the sausages, Gail the pasta , Cath the desserts and me bringing up the rear to perform the work which requires no culinary expertise, namely scraping 64 potatoes for mashing. Cath actually cuts the scraped spuds in half so that I can’t claim all the credit for their preparation.

In the event, the meal is to everyone’s satisfaction with the bangers and mash being welcomed after many weeks of pasta for most of the diners.

Off to bed with yours truly dreaming of a career in cooking after my stunning success in scraping the potatoes.

The Obese Ferret.

Usual sunny start to the day and decide to take it easy after the previous day’s  drive to Siena.

Walk up to the small nearby town of Barberino for coffee at the Sport bar which will become our regular coffee stop over the coming days. Very friendly, welcoming staff and it’s always a good sign to see the the locals frequenting a cafe.

Next few hours spent enjoying the facilities of the Podere Barberino but by afternoon we decide to take a drive with Cath and Ian to the famous town of San Gimigniano, often referred to as the ‘ Medieval Manhattan’, with its large number of medieval towers, the highest of which is the Torre Grossa ( climbed by Ian while the rest of us enjoy drinks in the Piazza della Cisterna below.

San Gim as always packed out with hordes of tourists but there is no denying its ‘wow’factor. Although fairly late in the day we continue on round the loop to Volterra, an Etruscan hill-top fortified town which all too often is over-shadowed by its neighbour San Gim but deserves closer inspection than it sometimes receives, if only for its breathtaking position overlooking the surrounding Tuscan hills.

The drive to these twin towns provides us with a reminder, if such were required, of why Tuscany has become such a tourist magnet.

Back at the villa by 7.00 pm to enjoy another lovely meal with the Fuller team preparing the starters and desserts and great pizzas coming from a pizzeria in nearby Tavarnelle. The first pizzeria owner nearly had a heart attack when he was asked for pizzas for 20 people ( his max was 3 ) so it took some time to find one capable of feeding the group, memorably described on one occasion by Gail’s brother , Chip as ‘good on the fang!’ when attending Gail’s 60th at Berwick.

A very late night sitting up with George, Ernie and others discussing the relative merits of France and Italy. ( Gail had gone to bed earlier ). Only realised when the night air hit me that I had drunk far too much and was in the giggly, slightly amorous, pre-depression state by the time I reached our room.
Gail engrossed in her book while I somehow managed to lock myself out of the bathroom and toilet when the handle came off in my hand. Go to sleep safe in the knowledge that I have destroyed the bathroom door handle, guaranteed my wife a restless night as she stresses over what will happen if she wakes up and needs to go to the loo, and reminded her what a silly old fart looks like when he arrives back home the worse-for wear!

Il Furetto Obeso e Ubriaco!

Another glorious day weather-wise.

Although Gail and I had been to Siena on a previous occasion Cath and Ian Smith had never seen this impressive city so we set off mid-morning for the shortish drive south.

Parking is always notoriously difficult and the problem was aggravated this time by a home football match for Siena who had just gained promotion to Seria A. We eventually find free parking below the walls of this fortified city and walk up the hill to the centre, stopping on the way to visit the Chiesa di San Domenico. Many people make the pilgrimage to this church as it contains the somewhat macabre mummified head and thumb of Santa Caterina, the patron saint of Rome, Italy and Europe.
The hypocrisy of the church never ceases to amaze me as all the women entering the building have to cover their shoulders only to be confronted by 3 nude statues in one of the chapels.

Next stop is the truly awesome Duomo with its superb facia, marble pillars and floor inlays and frescoes.

Finally, the piece de resistance, the Piazza del Campo, home of the twice-yearly Il Palio horse race. This square remains one the great sights and we are able to find a pizza bar in a side street with a glimpse of the Palazzo in the piazza. A lunch-time venue to remember.

More strolling around the laneways and streets of Siena, tucking into Gelati and arriving back at the car satisfied with our few hours in this great city.

Lovely evening meal of Lasagna prepared by Brenda Field and Di Wilson with help from Frances, Mick, George and Doug.

Consumption of probably more wine than was good for us but a fine time was had by all.

The Obese Ferret

Still no water available so yours truly takes a fairly cold dip in the swimming pool to freshen up a little. Quite amusing, in a masochistic sort of way, seeing a constant stream of guests carrying buckets of water to flush down the toilets.

Eventually, someone arrives and replaces a valve in the system which had been damaged by the recent electrical storm. Hot showers all round puts everyone in better frame of mind.

The day used generally to settle in to this magnificent complex and a superb evening meal of a beef casserole is prepared mainly by Bronny Fuller with some assistant from others in her team- all part of the rotation system to be used for the week.

Sit up too late but get a reasonably good night’s sleep.

The Obese Ferret.

Wake up to a bright sunny day and the sounds of a couple doing what comes naturally ( the walls to the rooms are very thin! ). We go to breakfast, one of the best we have had during the trip, to await the arrival of any couple looking very happy with themselves. The suspects eventually arrive but we decide not to ask them if they had enjoyed their early morning exercise.

Set off up a fairly steep slope to the town centre of Montefalco, which we had visited some years earlier.
The main square remains a stereotypical Italian piazza with the locals enjoying the sunshine but the high level of predominantly British tourists reminds us that we have swopped the quieter Umbria for the far busier Toscana.

Return to the Agriturismo to spend some time by the pool and have a quick lunch. However, ever-darkening clouds persuade us to make a move earlier than we had planned and we are soon on our way north through Foligno, Perugia and along the shores of Lake Trasimeno. Tom Tom who has been so reliable to date becomes totally confused as we leave Montefalco but our faith in him is soon restored as he finally gets back on the freeway in the right direction.

We had dismissed Lake Trasimeno as rather boring on previous trips but on this occasion take a detour to Passignano on the shores of the lake. Pleasantly surprised to find an attractive lakeside town with some fine cafes, gelaterias and park areas.

Travel on the major road past Siena and Poggiponsi to arrive at the location of the property which will be our home for the next week. After a few false starts we finally manage to get through the security gates into the magnificent Podere Barberino in Chianti.

Over the next few hours we meet up with all of our friends from Melbourne and make ourselves at home. Learn the good news that Andrew Fuller proposed to Bec Lindsay in Paris and that they are now engaged.
 Dinner is at a Pizzeria at walking distance to the town and we all enjoy a very good meal, despite the fact that the chef burns his hands on a saucepan, which prevents him from preparing a special pizza for Bridie.

The poor man is in some distress so with my mediocre Italian and Bec’s experience as a paramedic we are able to give him some advice as to how he might alleviate the pain.

Off to bed but not before we discover that there is no water at all in any of the houses. Have to wait until the next day to address the issue.

The Obese Ferret.

After the rather overcast conditions of the previous day it was great to wake up to sunny skies and higher temperatures.
Pay our bill, thank our kind hosts, Sonia and Alessio, for the previous day’s gifts of sparkling wine, torta and antipasto, and then take some time out to relax by the pool before our journey north-west to Toscana.

Do not leave until close to 1.00 and take motorway in to Ascoli Piceno, road then takes us through numerous gorges to Arquata Del Tronto. We had already decided to take the more daunting road across the  Sibillini mountains to Visso rather than the easier route to Norcia so shortly after leaving ADT we turn north towards Castelluccio.

By this stage the weather had taken a real turn for the worse and by Castelluccio the temperature had dropped from 26 to 9.5 degrees. To say that the road over the mountains was spectacular would be an understatement and yours truly stayed VERY focussed on the road, leaving Gail to point out the various views. Shortly before Castelluccio we arrived at the amazing Piano Grande, a high altitude plain at 1500 metres, which attracts a surprisingly high number of tourists to its horse-riding ranch. Not at all what one would expect in Italy and Le Marche continues to surprise us.

After the Passo del Gualdo at 1596 metres we take the long descent along the River Nera to the town of Visso, passing on the way Castelsantangelo with the most amazing fortress located on a hill above the town.

We then entered the area called the Valnerina, on the Umbrian side of the Monti Sibillini. This beautiful, lush valley presents such a sharp contrast to the harsh mountain regions to the east.

Finally, down on the plains we head for the Festival town of Spoleto and eventually we arrive at Agriturismo Casiano Piccolo under the walls of Montefalco, the so-called Balcone dell’Umbria.
Lovely meal at restaurant and early to bed after very taxing drive.

Le Marche has far exceeded our expectations, with some remarkable, wild scenery,friendly people and lack of tourists. It’s now off to the more tourist-laden Toscana for a week of revelry with the Fullers and the BADWACAS clan.

The Obese Ferret