St Antonin-du-Var reflections

I am back in the south of France at my aunt Jane's place. How lucky am I that she would have me back for the second time this year. Plus I arrived just in time for her annual curry luncheon - yum! What a lovely group.

We have throughly enjoyed ourselves jaunting off to the nearby village for market day and then off to lunch with some other friends. Today we are lounging around the house enjoying the sunshine and chatting about the mad family we have... (say no more).

I will be off tomorrow for a night in Gatwick before diving back into the Red Sea for a week's liveaboard scuba vacation. Whoo hoo - can't wait to get back under the water.

I shall miss Jane and her lovely place. It always offers me such a quiet opportunity for reflection which is just what I need as this great adventure starts to wind down . Merci and au revoir St Antonin-du-Var.

Florence in a cup of gelato

I could write about the obscene quantity and quality of artworks at the Uffizi, or Michelangelo's jaw dropping David sculpture. But really, my time in Florence is best summed up with this reflection;

Sitting in a square overlooked by a Gothic church with the November sun warming my face while I enjoy the sweet salty combination of banana and pistachio gelato.

Nothing is rushed and nothing is taken too seriously. It is just simply delicious in everyway.

Sauntering around Siena

I spent the day in Siena today. It was a stunning drive from Florence; rolling hills, fortressed towns, grape wines turning colour.

Siena is a quaint town wrapped with old city walls and gates still intact. It has its share of squares and churches.

Il Campo is the main square where they run horse races in the summer. I can only imagine what it is like with the thundering hooves racing around. It would be deafening, but totally exhilarating.

The Duomo is equally impressive. It is in gothic style (which is not the top of my list - too ornate). The real highlight is at your feet. The floor is covered with mosaic masterpieces. I wasn't able to see the full extent of the artwork, as it is only fully uncovered for two weeks in August. My friends, Stuart and Manish saw it several years ago. What was available was still magnificent in detail and colour.

The Piazza Salimbeni was quite comical. One side there are 29 funny faces staring down at you and in the middle of the square is a huge bronze statue of a monk with a condemning stare.

I had my first gelato in Siena (I know, I have been in Italy over a week, and this was my first gelato), but it has been rather chilly. My bacio cup was divine and I will be sure to have a few more tastes before I go. Yum!

I have long loved Tuscany. My love affair has only deepened today with my adventure to Siena. I could see myself living here quite easily. This is truly a slice of heaven.

View of Siena valley from behind Il Campo

Roma revisited

I had not been to Rome in over 15 years. I didn't expect much to be different, after all 15 years is nothing compared to the number of centuries it has been around.

I was excited to see some of my old favourites. The Trevi fountain is at the top of the list. My affinity to water makes this impressive piazza size fountain a must see. It didn't disappoint. Even with a few tour groups there, it is had a quiet elegance to it. Being raised on water sports I have always known that the sea can be both tranquil and fierce. That is represented in the two sides of the fountain, with a proud Neptune in the middle ruling over his aquatic kingdom.

Trevi Fountain, Rome

Next was the Spanish steps. Again a long time favourite for its views of the city and sweeping staircase up to the French church. I like the small fountain of a sinking boat at the bottom of the staircase.

I also made the pilgrimage to the Colosseum. I still have now been inside. I didn't feel like waiting the two hours to a buy a ticket in. There is so much to see from outside, that the inside will have to continue to wait.

Some new destinations included Capitoline Hill. The Musei Capitolini is a treasure trove of sculptures, which I think has become my favourite art form. There was also a fascinating Michelangelo exhibit on showcasing some of his architectural work around Rome.

Bronze sculpture in Musei Capitolini

Piazza Navona and its three fountains was also a first for me. I covered a surprising number of fountains in Rome. They love to show off their aquatic creations. Works for me. I was most impressed with the Fountana del Nettuno in the north end of the plaza. The middle piece, Fountana dei Quattro Fiumi, is meant to be the showcase, but not so much for me.

I also stumbled across Campo de Fiori and the open air produce market within. The Italians love their food. I watched a older woman make her way through three or four stalls, poking at fruit, vegetables and breads along the way. She has an endless stream of commentary going (which I could not even come close to understanding), but it seemed to entertain the stall owners. I imagined her making comments and comparisons about the goods and detailing out how she was going to use them in her evening meal. Mamma mia, she was fun!

Overall, I have really enjoyed returning to Rome. It lived up to my past impressions and provided a peek at some new corners of the city. I will be back, I am sure. Rome, like the rest of Italy, I think should be experienced several times in one's life. It has so much to reveal to its visitors.

Capri: soggy to sauced

I had been warned to not expect much from Capri. It is meant to be an island tourist trap with pretty views but very little realistic charm. Nevertheless, I decided to make the journey and see for myself.

On the ferry ride over the heavens open, it poured with rain and we were suddenly dealing with 8-12ft swells. It is amazing how quickly the sea can turn. We made it into port soggy and cold. I still wanted to make the most of it and resisted the urge to stowaway onboard for a quick ride back to the mainland.

I took the funicular up to Capritown only. Most of the stores and restaurants were closed up for the season so there was very little refuge from the down pour. I managed to tuck into a small coffee shop. Again I was scoffed at for my cappuccino request, but being chilled to the bone, I didn't take it to heart. As sipped slowed at my coffee hoping that I wouldn't be put out by the owner as more and more travelers found their way into this dry oasis. I needn't have worried as the owner came through the place with a free flowing bottle of Lemoncello for all her patrons. Apparently we had given her one of the best days in takings in recent weeks, and she was not interested in letting her cash cow slip away. She managed to score several more orders of coffee, lunch dishes and pastries. She was even scooping out tons of gelato, although she scoffed at those wanting cold food as well.

As I finally extracted myself from the coffee shop melee, the clouds were parting. The sun started to beat down as if it were a mid summer's day. By the time I had made my way around several of the side streets, I was striping off my many layers and wondering why I had not brought my sunscreen.

In the end, my trip to Capri delightful. It was full of character and generosity; two things I have found in abundance so far in this region of Italy.

More Roman ruins

Despite my previous declarations that I was done with Roman ruins, cathedrals and museums, I couldn't very well come all this way and skip out on Pompeii. I even added the Herculaneum to the list. The Herculaneum was more recently uncovered in the town of Ercalano. Though a much smaller site, the preservation is better than Pompeii. This is because the town was engulfed in 16 metres of mud from Vesuvius' eruption rather than the burning ash that rained down on and entombed Pompeii.

My hotel manager had sent me out with highlighted maps, site guide books, and strict instructions to pick up a sandwich at the Sorrento market before heading off. His insistence paid off as the only food on offer at the sites was hideously overpriced and unappealing. Well done Ando!

I buzzed through Herculaneum quickly with barely enough time to catch my breath. I wanted to see it, but Pompeii was where I wanted to spend the bulk of my time. It was good and gave me a good sense of how the buildings were laid out in those times (AD79).

Pompeii was breathtaking. I found myself saying "Wow" several times as I would come around a corner into a grand courtyard, look down on an enormous amphitheatre or see mosaic floor tiles still intact with intricate designs. It helped that it was a beautiful sunny day, and that there were not hordes of people around. It really gave you time to take everything in and imagine what life would have been like back in those times.

It is astonishing that people still live in this area. Mt. Vesuivus is still an active volcano with more than 30 eruptions since its epic explosion in AD79. The Italian government has tried everything to clear the area, including paying people. Apparently, the locals don't believe the world scientists who have stated that Vesuivus is well overdue for another big eruption. I wouldn't be too eager to move away from this enchanting area either, but having molten lava percolating beneath me everyday is also not appealing.

I was glad to have spent the day crawling over some more ancient ruins. Perhaps this will be it for awhile, but then again there is still Rome to come.

The Amalfi coast

I spent the day traveling the Amalfi coast. It is considered one of the best coastal drives in the world - they ain't lying! I would have loved to have done it in a convertible with the top down, or even on the back of a motor bike, but the bus was the only thing my budget would allow. In fact, being elevated a bit off the pavement gave the twists, turns and magnificent cliff ledges more drama. It is breathtaking.

I made a brief stop in Positano. My hotel manager had supplied me with a map of the area and instructions on where the best look outs were. It was suggested that a quick hour was all that was needed in Positano. This gave me enough of a view of the colourful houses that seemingly float off the side of the cliffs. I also made it down to the black sand beach but it was too cold to take a dip. I guess I am now a Mediterranean snob.

The real treasure was Ravello. A cute pedestrian town perched high on the hill. The Villa Cimbrone is well worth the hike up to. It has the Terrace of Infinite with stunning views up and down the coast. It gives one pause to appreciate life. It certainly beats my view on Lake Ontario. I was also finally able to take a seat in an Italian piazza and enjoy a cappuccino. However, I had to endure the rolling of eyes from the cafe owner, as Italians don't drink milky coffee after breakfast. I begged forgiveness and he frothed the milk.

Amalfi itself is probably better seen in the height of summer where a stroll along the waterfront is a must. With chilly temperatures rolling in I gave the striped Duomo a quick glance, walked the shopping streets for some visual stimulus (the prices are sky high), watched the sunset beyond the cliffs and then headed back to Sorrento via the windy coastal road. Which in the pitch black was even more gut wrenching at times.

I arrived back in Sorrento with a healthy appetite and a great restaurant recommendation. The perfect combo to end out a lovely day.