Italy and around

While the bike was in for a service and some work, I met Sarah in Paris. First up was the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, the Musee Dorsay (of water lilies fame) and the Notre Dame. All very nice all bar the hoards of tourists and stifling heat. We spent a day in the Louvre which was spectacular to say the least. We went to la duree for some macaroons and wandered the streets.

We caught a train up to Reims and took a champagne tour of GH Momms and another, the name escapes me (too much champers maybe). We spent a few nights in a nice B&B before catching a train back to Paris.


From Paris we flew to Venice. On the plane we realised the Campervan we were supposed to pick up from Venice was actually outside a small town about 150 km away - Vicenza. Close but no cigar. So a Bus, taxi, train then taxi ride later we arrived at what was to be our home for the next few weeks in Italy.

the camper

We headed south via Modena (place of balsamic fame) over the mountains through small villages not suited to a camper but perfect for a bike (had to remember not on bike but in a 6m long camper) then onto marina de Massa (Carrara) famous for its white marble quarries of which are thousands of years old. I did a tour of marble museum. Pretty much anything that could be made of marble was. The town square and fountain was marble, gutters - marble and aggregate in the bitumen also seemed to be marble.


We walked the full length of the cinque terra which took us through the 5 villages basically along the rugged coast.

surveying the terre

Then drove to Florence via Lucca to see the birth place of Puccini. We hired some bicycles and cycled around the city walls.


Arrive Florence. Once again (in typical Italian style) the motorbikes and motor scooters siphon through the lanes of slow or stoped traffic trickling out over the white line ready to explode onto the empty space once the lights change. No incidents but some close shaves.

The campsite was situated in an old olive grove. The trees were old and gnarly and heavy with fruit. We spent the next few days at cathedrals and galleries all which were impressive.

Next up we left the camper on the mainland and headed for the Island of Elba. I hired a 150cc scooter and took a look around island. It was no Philip island but I did manage to get the scooter up to 90km/h, down hill, with a tail wind.

I swaped the tiger for this?

Next stop Rome. But not before Savano, Sorano and Pitigliano with the Etruscan tombs. We looked at the main attractions did a night tour and had a tour of the with an Australian priest. He was still pretty ocka with the “yea I dunno if we’ll get down there” and was keen for news from home.

rome

Swiss guard at the vatican

medieval village

in the palace gardens

Next up we headed towards Tivoli to see Hadrian’s villa but on the way had a small accident. We were heading around an “oblong about” and a Getz tried to cut across in front of the van. Van-1:Getz-0. Van damage- smashed mirror, indicator and some panel damage. Getz damage - smashed windows, doors and front guard, wheel that looks like a pie with a piece missing and some suspected suspension damage. 2 Police arrived, then 3 more-one of which could speak English. I wrote a statement, we had some confusion with some insurance papers,( at one stage my papers had been given to the other driver by mistake). We had some tears from Mrs Getz, the tow truck came, some reluctant group hugs with the police and we were on our way again.

group hugs

Stirred but not shaken we headed to Pompeii, Paestum and hiked up Mt Vesuvius.

Pompei

We drove back up the east coast to drop the camper back then caught a train to Venice. Ate delicious pizza and some of the best clams and muscles available to mankind. We took a tour of the glass making on the island of Morano and went to a Vivaldi concert in the evening.

tide rising in the square in venice

We caught a train to lake Como and stayed half an hour out of town up on the side of a hill with lake views. I tried finding the Moto Guzzi museum/factory but was let down by unreliable public transport. We were waiting for a bus back to the train station and the chef offered us a ride with her mother who was headed in. We folded ourselves into the Getz like some circus performance as grandma chef reclines her seat back to lock Sarah’s knees firmly into the back of her seat. No seat belt required.