gazlington

Europe is clearly turning on the heater. 36 here today. I need a pewl. Might head up to the Trevi Fountain to watch some tourists get arrested for jumping into the actual fountain and gathering some loose change. Don’t we all just jump into fountains when it’s hot? Main objective for today is to stay cool and hydrated. Nice heads up on this climate aspect from Rome Aficionado/ cousin Ray in Melb. Always feel a little reflective when it’s time to move on. Rome really is a city with a vibe. A nice conversation yesterday with a German couple at Peppy’s Bar. Both from Frankfurt. He spoke English really well with an American accent, having spent his formative years in Germany mixing with American kids near the US military base Ramstein. Wife was from Greece. Retiring to Crete. Fascinating. Will never see them again, but that’s travel. Was actually raining here last night. Pretty intense for 20 mins. Whoah! I’m actually starting to sound like Rob Gell. Managed to scramble under cover at a restaurant. Wipe out for others. A final walk around our zone this arvo. No sign of bookshops or music stores, but there is bikini concept shop. Work that out. Horse drawn carriages, cobbled streets, electric buses, compact cars…..and Frank Sinatra tributes……it’s all here.

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Today’s Hop on Hop off trip around Rome showed an energetic and vital city framed within numerous historical milestones. Our trip was a little curtailed with regard to highlights owing to 2025 being a Jubilee Year for the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, this type of trip is a great way to see a working city in action, in all of its intensive glory. The scale of the Colosseum and the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II (pics below) are still jaw dropping to see again, along with other architectural highlights. The Romans were pretty confident and hugely expansive with their building projects. They were also mindful of kicking back and enjoying leisurely pursuits like gladiatorial events and chariot racing. INTERESTING BUNCH OF DUDES. Pic below of the remains of the Circus Maximus chariot track. Shades of harness racing in Melton Victoria. Some things never change. I reckon there would have been a fair amount of punting going on at Circus Maximus. Archaeological diggings are still ongoing in various locations. A bit of shopping topped off a cruisey day, along with a return to a favourite coffee shop (Peppy’s bar) that we visited 11 years ago. Literally sitting in the same spot. Sentimental. Love returning to favourite locations. Spanish Steps update. An 80 year old drove his car down the Steps literally 3 minutes from us, in the early hours overnight. Told police that he was going to work and took a wrong turn. Use of a GPS device? Licence renewal an issue here as well as in Australia. And while we’re at it, were Romans using really small bricks in their construction adventures? Dunno. Looks like it.

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Yesterday was a long day. Train delayed and then getting off at Roma Termini. Clearly my knowledge of Italian is accelerating at an exponential rate. Uber drop off at the Spanish steps early evening and then a bit of a ‘Where’s Wally’ search for our accommodation as Uber was glitching prior to pickup. Quite the crowd around the Steps owing to an impending Journalism Award event. No direct access up the stairs. Frustrating. Using an alternative path around the back of the Steps we managed to get to the top and obtain a view, next to a nice restaurant hang. A walk to a nearby former Medici Villa hinted at the massive real estate assets that were owned by The House of Medici, an influential Italian dynasty dominating wealth and finance in and around the 1500s. A delight to be visiting some old haunts from our last visit in 2014. Managed to see the car that I really want. It’s called a YOYO. Electric. Product of a joint venture start up between Italy and Hong Kong. I want one!!!!!!!!! See pic below. Spanish Steps throw back image wise below to the film ‘Roman Holiday’ (1953) featuring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. The creative aspect of shopfront windows never ceases to amaze. Can’t believe Christian Louboutin still has a shop in the same location that we saw in 2014. The enduring notion of brand.

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What a great little part of the world is Cinque Terre/ Monterosso/ Vernazza. Another smooth day having our downstairs breakfast, followed up by our traditional coffee hang and the obligatory swim. Breezy and cool early but then bang, on with the heat. Enjoyed taking reminder pics of the town, the alleyways, the food spots and the places where we sat and observed. A nice panini for lunch. A conversation with a couple who had just come in from Dublin. Fascinating to hear their take on Ireland and Australia. Bought a unique piece of art from literally just opposite our accomodation. Restaurant boards could qualify as works of art. So there you go. Conversation, memories and then on to Roma.

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Enjoying the croissant based Euro breakfast on this trip. Great to be able pop downstairs and have it all ready to go. Part of our accommodation. Went back through the tunnel today that connects the New town to the Old town. We are staying in the Old town. Really not sure how this town division thing came about in Monterosso. Quite the contrast. Old Town has that quirky lived in feel and historical touchstones, while the New Town seems more integrated with the railway station and a showcase for upmarket accommodation. Different orange striped beach umbrellas (mainly) in the New town compared to the blue striped umbrellas in the Old town. Can’t believe I’m writing about unbrellas. Back into the Old town for a spot of swimming and a late lunch and a general coffee hang. Over 30 deg down here at the moment, although it feels hotter. Internet is struggling as a core of people have possibly hit the A/C until the sun goes down. No breeze. Last day here tomorrow. On to Rome to catch up with the Romans. Noticed a plaque dedication to some individuals from this area who resisted the efforts of Mussolini and the fascists. History embedded.

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Travelling on the ferry to neighbouring town Vernazza was quite the experience this afternoon. Very relaxing on the water while taking in the views of the hillside grapes, lemons and olives. We had a nice conversation with a couple from Boston who were on a cruise making their way to Monaco and Cannes. Quite busy in Vernazza and very hot. 30 deg. The colours of the houses were striking as we had anticipated. Managed to navigate our way around this town which is a deal smaller than Monterosso. Full of exquisite food and clothing and souvenir outlets. Certainly alot steeper than Monterosso. The entrepreneurial hillsides are certainly a source of wonder. The farmers must have the best cardiovascular systems in the world in order to flourish here. Upon speaking to one of the shopkeepers we were informed that the peak commercial period is May through to November. Beyond this timeframe it looks like it’s either Limoncello time for 6 months, or off to work elsewhere. Bumped into an Australian dude out here with his wife. Has a liqueur shop in Daylesford and was on a business trip having just cruised the Greek islands. Fascinating. Some nice tax deductions ready to roll. Arriving back at Monterosso it was into the water to cool off. Sensational. Clearly a fabric shortage in Italy based on the nature of the swimming costumes. A great evening meal. Another day.

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A cruisey day in the sense of being in the middle of a holiday loaded with surprises. The tone of Monterosso is chilled and all about finding your own tempo. After a brunch it was test the waters time. Gotta say the water temp was sharp. Clearly I won’t be demonstrating my Olympic butterfly prowess in front of the tourists on the beach in 2025. Got to the bottom of the excessive kiddie problem. Apparently all students have 3 months off for summer and then it’s back into it with short breaks for Christmas and Easter. Whoah. Enjoyed taking a few shots around the place from elevated positions in the arvo. Postcard quality. In terms of Monterosso itself, I suppose there are several observational things that come to mind at this point. Firstly, land and space are optimised. Even the hotel we are staying in has crops growing on a patch of land next door to us, and of course the hills are covered with crops depending on viability and the seasons. Secondly, if you’re driving around in a vehicle, it’s all slow and give and take. Interesting. Hear that Melbourne? Thirdly, the boat cruises are constant, moving between the Cinque Terre towns and out and about. They don’t stop. Finally, the hire of 1 beach umbrella and 2 banana lounges for the day will set you back around 40 euros, so you better make the most of it.

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Have got to say, that coming into this area and watching the ocean/ inlets unfold to Monterosso, was a very special experience. Alot has been said about this area and its special qualities, but wow…..to see it in the flesh is something else. Train trip into the insane Milano Central Station (a cross between getting into the MCG and moving through Fed Square on NYE) was OK in the end, as was the trip to Monterosso, where we ended up sitting and talking with 2 other Aussie couples for pretty much the 3 hour leg of this journey. Straight into AFL talk and the notion of travel. Funny that. One couple from the Sunshine Coast were travelling for 12 weeks. Another couple from Caulfield in Melbourne were in the middle of a big trip, finishing with a wedding in Ireland. It’s not until you move around like this, that you get to form an appreciation of the scale and variety of human endeavour. A bit philosophical….but there you go. A similar travelling interaction occurred in Venice, as we chatted over dinner with a couple of octogenarians from Perth who had been travelling and cruising for about 6 weeks. Are you kidding?????Octogenarians!!!!!!!! Historically Monterosso (replete with obligatory Castle/ Tower) and the other 4 towns in this Cinque Terre cluster, hark back to the 11th century. Cinque Terre’s fortunes have been up and down over the journey with respect to things like invasions (those naughty Turks), Second World War bombings, industrial stagnation and people leaving the area. In 2011 the area suffered from torrential rain and severe landslides. Major setback. In actual fact the hotel we are staying in had to be renovated as a result of those very landslides. Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage listed Site and I can see why. Grapes, olives and lemons. Our plan is to cruise, swim and appreciate the culture and be ever-curious. Let’s see what happens. Yellow building below is our accommodation.

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And we get ready to leave the great Desenzano. Always a few surprises. A massive open air market today, on a Tuesday? Apparently happens every Tuesday. Alot of primary and secondary kids floating around. School holidays? Lake looked incredible late arvo. Off to Cinque Terra in the morning. A few closing tour pics to date.

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Continuing to take in the sights of this little gem of a place. Enjoying exploring the endless alleyways, outdoor dinning venues and different food options. I’ve become quite partial to a Spaghetti Pomodoro and its subtle variants in Venice and Desenzano. Poolside breakfast within a beautiful garden. Reappearance of the high end BAD MERC dude. Joined by ducks this morning for our late morning food top up in the Old Harbor area. Yachting clearly a big past time here with an impressive Yacht Club. Have got to say that the quality of the service in Desenzano overall has been at a high level. With regard to our current venue Piccola Vela, thank you Kerstin Masson (our travel agent) for this placement. Very up market and convenient. Again great service and care.

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