last leg (s)

where does time go? 10 days to catch up since last post. Spent two nights in Arezzo and on Sunday trained back to Florence in time to beat the strike. Had booked into Hotel Centrale in Firenze and probably the best (3 star) hotel that I've stayed in all trip. So if anyone is planning a trip there - I can tell you more about it. For the 2nd and 3rd nights - only E50, including a pretty good breakfast. Off season I know - but very close to everything (incl the railway station).


Went to a reading that night of "Love Letters" by Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker (remember LA Law). Small new theatre. Due to a misprint in the "Whats on" I only got to see the second half - but the local (Americans) were so dismayed that the time had been printed incorrectly - that they insisted I go free!


So a lot more walking. Tried to get on a group to go walking into Chianti and despite turning up at 8.15 twice - twice it was cancelled - so went back to being my own tour guide/leader. Needless to say - more frescoes. Can't decide if frescoes or mosaics are my favourite.

Haven't said much about food. Got much better at selecting more unlikely looking places. One night in Florence I walked in at 7.30 ish (too early) - but couldn't see that it was empty from the street - was seated right next to kitchen - bench type tables - and soon enough all the tables were full. Including every seat at the table that I was at. Good roast pork! Didn't feel compelled to try the Tuscan speciality of tripe, but did do wild boar & crispy cheek.


I like the Italian way of having a quick caffe at the counter along with a pastry. When breakfast wasn't included - cappuccinno and a very good pastry for E2 - can't complain about that! At the Uffizi, the difference between coffee standing at the bar and sitting at a table was E1.60 to 4.50.


Wednesday - train down to Orvieto - so did spend one night in Umbria. Not enought time to act out the Maggie Smith role in "My House in Umbria" so that will have to wait until next time.

Now the cathedral in Orvieto is something else - and I do think that if you are going to have some mosaics along with the black & white marble - then I agree with Orvieto - you may as well go OTT and have lots. Luckily I saw it on the afternoon I arrived with the sun shining on it as the next day was quite miserable - thunder/lightening/rain/cold.


Train back to Roma. Walked / tried to get interested in shopping but didn't do that well. Think I need companions / advisors for shopping. However when I checked in to fly to Singapore with now two full suitcases - and they didn't charge excess luggage? - I must have bought something!


Watched the rugby in a crowded Irish pub on my last night in Roma. Was slightly worried that there was going to be a riot on the penalty try - so kept my head low.

so - now in Singapore - haven't done the lying by the pool bit which was what I had planned for these two days - but have walked.... but no churches!

Being a numbers person - I like to keep track - so - 20 countries visited (16 for the first time); am going to count the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites and set up the checklist to start ticking off the remaining 800 or so; but no way I'll be able to count the duomos, cathedrals or the Madonna col Bambinos.


So - for anyone who is still bothering to read my ramblings - what have I learnt?

Contrary to earlier rumours, I can read maps and find my way around - the best piece of advice I received was from Ange who reminded me that the sun is in the south when you're in the Northern Hemisphere. Tho' it is amazing how the subconscious can override that even when you are concentrating really hard on which way to go...

The somewhat irritating habit I have of reading instructions comes in really useful when negotiating train timetables, and generally finding the way from A to B.

After the huge amount of art I have seen I think I now the difference between some styles!!

I now really understand why some professional firms still insist that their partners have a sabattical every five years or so. My poor old head that had been feeling as if it was in overload mode, now feels that it had been defragged, tidied, dusted and given a spring clean.

So... am feeling incredibly fortunate that I have been able to have this time out - some of the ragged edges have been smoothed over. I think experiencing so much beauty (art and architcture, but also landscapes,) is very soothing for ones soul!!

Not sure how I am going to cope with timesheets, collecting bad debts, tax problems etc again.

So - back to the drawing board and try and work out a way to do it again!

PS - please excuse all spelling errors - my poor wee EEPC is about to give up - and it doesn't have a spell check -

and thanks to those that have given news from home and other feedback...

see you soon!!

Tuscany

Slight panic on the friday morning as I was leaving Florence - credit card declined. Westpac had kindly replaced my card - due to fraud in the UK? - but had said (after urgent emails) that as I was here and the replacement card was there - that they wouldn't cancel the old one until I got home. But the computer had other ideas. Anyway its working again now. Did have other backups of course - but still didn't want to have the options limited!

So - set off on train to Lucca. The (english) Florentine paper had said that hotels etc were only 60% occupied - so decided that i would just get accommodation when I got there. Only - there was a "Comic & Games" festival on in Lucca - and that weekend was the grande finale. The (wet) streets were filled with vampires, gothics, and all sorts of wierd and wonderful costumes, some inspired by Halloween; others by themes that I recognised on the posters "Star Wars" and "Fantasy". And the city and surrounding 30 miles were booked out.

Anyway the very obliging tourist office did find me a room (due to a cancellation). My views of the city were somewhat distorted by marquees and scores of oddly dressed young ones. I did see a few of my generation wandering round with a bemused look on their faces - how did we get mixed up in this??!! So much for LP's description !

Sunday morning was sunny - so had another walk around -and it did look better with the sun shining - and then boarded the train to Pisa. Being a good tourist - climbed the tower just before sunset - stunning....

So yes - more walking - the usual Cs plus markets/museums/etc..... in the rain.

Then train to Siena for three nights, and today to Arezzo. Was going to go back to Florence on Monday but there is a strike - which I think affects all trains and buses - so will probably go on Sunday instead. Noone is too sure of the details so best to avoid travelling that day, me thinks.

Sometimes on this trip I feel like I'm in the middle of a giant Linear programming (Economics 1)/Sudoku problem: if I do that - then I can't do that - and if I go there ......etc

Caught local bus out to Sam Gimignano to see the towers whilst in Siena. Tried the gelato from the (twice) world champion gelato maker when in San G - and since it was world champion standard - had three scoops instead of the normal two. My favourite flavour is nearly always the last one - so out of the three - was passionfruit that day. But other favourites have been peach, cheesecake, pinolatta (?) mango, coconut, ... list is endless.

For those who have read "Eat, Pray, Love", Liz Gilbert puts on two stone (I think) during four months in Italy. I'm hoping that my 7 weeks doesn't wreck the same havoc - but I'm fearful of the worst....

Realised that I had never read "Under the Tuscan Sun" so started that while avoiding the rain and the crowds in Lucca. So am now right in the middle of UTTS location. Also "Life is Beautiful" is set and was filmed in Arezzo - so the giant filmset continues.

Which reminds me - here I am where it all began (double entry bookkeeping, that is). I haven't noticed any tours taking busloads to view beautiful ledger accounts or well balanced trial balances. Another business opportunity perhaps?

I have been meaning to report on the new suitcase - which is very well behaved. Before buying the 4 wheeler in the Brussels train station I had observed others with 4 wheelers - which appeared to trot alongside their owners like well trained dogs. Mine was different - it was more like an untrained retriever puppy - always going off in whatever direction it chose. I decided that I needed a degree in physics to pack it properly - weight along the bottom, weight along one side- ? - but it didn't seem to make any difference. Anyway the new smaller version which I got for this three weeks hop on/hop off trains is like a well trained poodle - trots along beside me - no trouble at all. In fact - I noticed someone taking a video of it amongst the Lucca crowds - I don't think that I looked that comical - but perhaps?

So with the extra case - I now have space for some shopping when I get back to Rome. Frances in UTTS says that when she first started visiting Italy she always went home with 6 pairs of new shoes - should I consider that a challenge?

Well thats enough rambling for now.

PS - the duomo in Siena is truly stunning - as is the view from the Panorama del Facciatone. won't mention the walking.... and the other churches, frescos, mosiacs etc...