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WOODWALKABOUT

APRIL: ROME, CINQUE TERRE, LAKE COMO & TURKEY

Rome – ( low 20 deg.s C)

Three weeks into our Tuscan stay, we packed one bag between the five of us, left the car and our belongings in Panzano, and headed to Rome for four days. We had a fantastic time enjoying everything this exciting, cosmopolitan city had to offer. The historical sites of importance, (The Roman Forum, The Colloseum, The Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, The Pantheon, The Mouth of Truth, & The Palazzo Vittoria and of course, the Vatican and St Peters) were all amazing and the shops were pretty good as well. Hotel Regno, where we stayed was a real find. It was just 200m from both the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, 500m to the Spanish Steps and a whole host of wonderful shops. Probably a little too close to the latter, Steve would say.

Mitchell at the Roman Forum

Fountain de Trevi

Palazzo Vittoria

Colloseum

Swiss Guards at The Vatican

Sheri at The Spanish Steps

We timed our trip to Rome to coincide with the masses where we could see the Pope. We (along with 59, 995 other people,) had tickets to the Anniversary mass for Pope John Paul 2 which was held in St Peters Basilica, the Thursday before Easter. We got there early queuing for over an hour and a half, right around St Peter’s square, where we’d sat only the day before, for the regular Wed. Papal Audience. Once inside, it was simply incredible to be part of it. Sprinkled with the obligatory Swiss Guards, the church with all it’s grandeur and fine acoustics, came into it’s own. We were reminded of the magnitude of what we were experiencing once we noticed all the security walking the roof inside. We were about 30 rows from the front, so we didn’t have too bad a view as it turned out. Unlike the formal etiquette of Westminster, St Pauls, and to a lesser extent, Canterbury Cathedral, videos and cameras amongst the congregation were common. It was the Pope after all!

Cardinals after the John Paul 2 Anniversary Mass inside St Peter's

The Pope on the big screen in St Peter's Square for Papal Audience

Altar set up for John Paul 2 Anniversary Mass

The mass went for nearly two hours, and surprisingly the kids coped well, with some extra help from some very social & entertaining twenty-something’s in the row behind. We found ourselves deciphering the odd word here and there attempting to sing. Mass in Italian really was beautiful (and with all due respect to Father Jack and Fathers’ Michael back at home,) was probably the way it was intended.

A train trip to Florence and a bus to Panzano, found us back in Tuscany sadly, with the task of packing up to leave the very next morning. We enjoyed Tuscany and loved our house, Campana De Remoli.” Having spent a month there, it was the closest thing we’d had to a real home since we left Sydney. Our next stop would be Cinque Terre, (Five Towns,) on the northwest coast.

Cinque Terre - (23 deg. C)

We set off from Panzano and drove for about four hours. On the way we stopped at Collodi, on the advice of Mitchell, our resident tour director. It was the place where the writer of Pinnochio, had lived. In his honour the town had built a fun park for children. Whilst it was quaint and Mitch and Cassi enjoyed it , it was a rip off considering what was actually there, so I wouldn’t advise it. Later that day we arrived at Manarola, the second of the Cinque Terre five-some. Given the terrain and the narrow pedestrian paths, we secured our pass to drive down as far as we could to unload our entire carload before parking it above the village. One night stays were not a regular feature of our trip thankfully for this reason.

Manarola in Cinque Terra

Cassidy in Collodi
Manarola from the sea

We had an apartment overlooking this tiny town leading down towards the seaside. Opposite the tiered lemon groves that flanked the hill (just like in Amalfi,) the buildings of the town were painted in bright colours making it quite the picture postcard as you can see. In the evening we had a wonderful seafood dinner in a local restaurant. It was so nice to have something other than pasta and pizza for a change, and something far less taxing on the waist line. We got up early the next morning and got going. Each of the five villages were connected by a train as well as a 12km pathway, including the better known “Tunnel Of Love.” We (Steve and I anyway,) envied the many people who visited each of these remote villages by foot. Sadly our timetable and the rest of our tour party wouldn’t allow for it, on this trip.

Local Palm Sunday service down main street of Vernazzia
Sheri at Vernazzia

Vernazzia Harbour

We took the train instead and headed to Vernazzia , the fourth village from where we’d started . On our arrival we ran straight into a local church’s Palm Sunday celebrations down the main street. We all received our platted piece of palm leaf and watched on as the cross was carried through the streets followed by the local children and their families. Vernazzia was a lovely colourful fishing village set down by the sea like Manarola. Before leaving we climbed a small castle on the tip of the peninsula where we could appreciate the pretty, little beach & boats, and the colourful awnings that donned it’s shopfronts. It was no wonder a group of Japanese art students we spoke to, were so focused on their canvases. A wonderful ferry ride back to Manarola, a quick stroll through the lemon orchards before packing the car and we were on our way to Lake Como where we would stop for a fortnight.


LAKE COMO: (16 – 25 deg.s C)

At Lake Como we rented the downstairs floor of a house overlooking the lake. It was an amazing spot made all the more wonderful by the fantastic hospitality of our host. Danillo was invaluable with his local knowledge, weather advice & day trip suggestions. Being an ex-manager of local 5 star hotels, he made our stay a hassle free and comfortable one, but being an extra nice guy with a lovely family next door, made our stay a unique and especially memorable one. The children had a great time with Danillo’s son, Sebastian, (10 years,) and his cousin, Frederika, (5 years,) who were their first friends to play within 5 months. They’d fill most days in the garden. We’ve never seen kids have so much fun - sliding down hills on cardboard and sleds, swinging from rope in a tree and kicking soccer balls from morning till night. Having his cousin and nonna (grandma) next door was a special treat for the kids, “Nonna Angelina” as she affectionately became known, took a shine to them and Mitchell loved helping her water the plants. Trips to Sebastian’s school & the local park and meeting our host’s extended family, over Easter, were real highlights for us all.

Danillo's (pink) house where we stayed down stairs

Meeting Sebastian and his family after school at the park

Kids with Frederika and Sebastian

Nonna Angelina saying goodbye

In between the last of our schoolwork packages for term 1, we also visited a number of very scenic spots. These included a trip to St Moritz in Switzerland (which was just a two hour drive,) Milan ( just an hour away to see Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” painting,) Bellagio (a lovely village across the lake,) Como itself via hydrofoil, (visiting the Duomo, shops and markets, and also where Julie and Sheri later had a girls day out to attend a Kadinsky exhibition,) as well as a no. of beautiful villas, including Carlotta and Balbianello & Melzi and their spectacular gardens. Sadly, we didn’t run into George Clooney, but we did see his house, and also the Versace mansion from the lake.

Kids at play in Lake Como backyard

View from Mennagio - Lake Como

View of St Moritz from the mountain top

We loved Como. Our newly formed friendships and the insight into local life was the highlight of our trip so far. It was sad to leave, but we were hopeful of another opportunity to meet up again later in the year. Leaving Italy itself, was also sad as we had warmed to the lay back, Italian way of life, despite the "Italian Shower Dance" (where we often dodged the intermittent hot and cold water,) and had finally got used to working around the afternoon siestas. Steve was even driving like an Italian by this stage! After Como we spent two nights on the road in preparation for our trip to Turkey. Our first night was spent in the tiny village of Mouries in the south of France. Here we saw Julie’s mum who had just arrived for a month long stay and dropped off some excess luggage not needed for the Turkey trip, before a night in Nice at an airport hotel and a flight to Istanbul the following morning.


Turkey: (approx. 2 deg.C to 16 deg. C)

The purpose of our trip to Turkey was to attend the Dawn Anzac Day service at Anzac Cove. We flew from Nice to Istanbul via Zurich on Swiss Air. We booked a tour in an attempt to make the whole experience far less overwhelming. The tour itself started a day and a half following our arrival, so we got out and saw some of the sights of Istanbul before leaving. We visited The Blue Mosque where the girls all had to cover up their heads, and sit in the “Women’s Section,” then ventured to The Grand Bazaar (which holds no less than 3000 shops,) in search of a bargain.

We had been warned not to pay any more than half of the original asking price and to be on the lookout for pick pockets. Thankfully we didn’t experience the pick pockets, but were constantly being asked, “Where you from? Where you from?” These over friendly gestures we quickly worked out were direct attempts to lure us into a potential carpet sale. We all had great fun telling them we were from all sorts of places. The kid’s favourite was to say “Danillo Land” (in reference to their Como stay,) and this helped them to make light of the constant hasselling which had the potential to be pretty daunting for them. They also enjoyed the results of their parent’s haggling on price which saved their pocket money on several occasions. We weren’t presented with the tray of complimentary Turkish Coffee, having remained strong in the face of the obligatory rug purchase , so we knew we’d escaped unscathed, leaving with a just a few cushion covers, a mini guitar, a couple of knicknacks and a Turkish flag. All in all, it was a good day out.

Infront of The Blue Mosque

Lanterns and Plates in the Grand Bazzar - Istanbul

The next night we met our local Turkish guide, Salchuk, and our Tour Manager, Denis, who as it happened, came from Lindfield in Sydney and in happier times, knew our troublesome, ex –neighbours from Courallie Rd. We live in such a small world it is often ridiculous isn’t it. Next morning we boarded the bus, and met David & Jacky behind us, who were travelling with Heather and Gordon, also from Brisbane. David, was a real character and kept the kids entertained for hours much to his credit. We travelled along the Sea of Marmara westwards down towards the Gallipoli peninsula listening to Salchuk’s entertaining commentary of both local and historical significance. Mitch lapped this up and couldn’t resist asking him loads of questions, whilst the girls took to serenading their fellow passengers with the mini guitar.

Mitch extending his collection of flags

Children's Turkish Dance Group

We took the car ferry over to the Asian side of Turkey to Canakkale (due to its proximity to Gallipoli,) where we stayed the next three nights. From here we made daily trips back across the Dardenelles to investigate the Gallipoli sites of Anzac Cove (the site of the initial landing,) and Chanuk Bare (where the New Zealanders had mainly fought,) and Lone Pine (where Australia lost most of its soldiers.) Whilst there, we witnessed the rehearsals for the services to be held on the 25th and a preliminary visit by Stephen Smith, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. We also visited an Anzac Museum, and the Turkish monument, with the famous words of Ataturk, the Commander of the Turkish forces at the time.

Anzac Cove with the landing beach in the background

On the night of the 24th, having grabbed a couple of hours sleep straight after dinner, we left Canakkale at midnight, boarding a ferry heading over to Gallipolli. Before leaving we’d already seen all the backpackers in their sleeping bags on TV with their spots for the night and hoped we wouldn’t have to resort to the ground. As we drove there in the darkness and listened to compilations of old, patriotic, wartime songs, a real melancholy mood took over the bus. Up the road further, we had to undergo security checks with men going one way and women the other. This was more than a little off putting in the dark, considering it was supervised by Turkish army officers bearing weapons. Thankfully our dear Tour Manager, Denis had arranged for Cassidy and Julie to go the rest of the way by “Special Needs” bus. So whilst Steve, Sheri and Mitch walked up the hill, Julie and Cassi got to listen to the odd conversation about joint replacements and bingo. It was really inspiring to see so many older people, making such a pilgrimage considering their obvious years and potentially closer links to the tragic tales of this terrible conflict.

Sleeping out before the Gallipoli Dawn Service

Upon our arrival, we saw a virtual sea of brightly coloured caterpillars stretched out across the ground, each sleeping bag, motionless so as to secure their position for the service. Some had camped out for six hours before hand. Jacky, David, Heather and Gordon, thankfully had somehow managed to claim five extra seats in the grand stand having convinced the people that had been laying across them for hours, to sit up. If David hadn’t been over six feet tall we may not have been so lucky. The kids all hung on well with only a few hours to go, but as luck would have it, the last one of them slipped off to sleep half an hour before it all started.

Apart from the birds, not a sound could be heard as day broke across the Dardenelles. The water was still and appeared like glass. At another time, it would have made for perfect water skiing. Whilst it was amazing to be there amongst all the people who had come so far to share in that moment, we were somewhat detached because of the sheer size of this service, the dark, and the fact that we were surrounded by people half or fully asleep, some of which were still snoring. But just being there was enough, seeing it all first hand and being with so many people that had travelled so far to be there. We also got to see so much of the Turkish spirit that wasn't on the official program, like the singing kebab man backstage was an experience in itself.

Mitch with the Turkish Army

Kids with the Jandarma (Turkish Police)

Following the service, we woke the kids for the move up to Lone Pine for the Australian Service. Having learned it would be a 3km walk with inclines up Artillery Road with three sleep deprived kids and a huge sack of sleeping bags, we were extremely glad to have the use of the “Special Needs” bus once again. In fact, I don’t know how you’d do it with kids without this type of assistance to be quite honest, as it made a potentially impossible situation, an extremely enjoyable and memorable one. We only saw maybe five other children during our time at Gallipolli.

Lone Pine Service

Cemetery where the service was held

Having understandably slept through the last service, the kids were all wide awake and delighted to be up close at Lone Pine with their ticketed seating. Not long after taking our seats, each of the kids were presented with a Rising Sun pin by an Australian soldier which was a wonderful thrill for them. We all felt part of this service from beginning to end, with an excellent view of everything that took place, including the dignatories, officials and uniformed officers, not to mention the Aussie Fenatics all decked out in gold taking up half of the opposite grandstand. One proud Australian amongst us, struggled to sing the anthem as she choked on her tears, so proud and totally moved by the whole experience, whilst the newest Australian of the family, was the one who knew the second verse best , putting the rest of us to shame. Why is it we were never taught the second verse and rarely ever sung it at public gatherings, whilst a New Zealander knows it perfectly ? Thankfully, Sheri & Mitch told us they do sing it at school these days, which was reassuring because it’s probably the best of the two.

Kids with Australian Soldiers and Navy officers at Lone Pine

Soon after the service we met up with our tour group and made our way down Artillery Road to meet the bus. As we wandered carefree down the hill, we marvelled at the steep terrain across Shrapnel Gully and wondered how on earth those poor diggers got anywhere at all. Their bravery and sheer determination despite the odds they faced was incredible - we would always remember them.

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Replica of the Troy Wooden Horse at Troy

Roman ruins at Troy

During our stay in Turkey we also had a quick trip to Troy where we saw a replica of the famous horse and some of the few ruins of this once, great city. Sadly there wasn’t a great deal left, and what was, had only recently been preserved it seemed. Nontheless, it was wonderful to see and the kids enjoyed climbing up the wooden horse and hearing about the famous tale. We also enjoyed the seaside jewellery markets at Canakkale, learning a few Turkish words and phrases, meeting the Turkish people and gaining a firsthand appreciation of our two countries’ sad history. We stayed one more day in Istanbul, before flying back to France, choosing to lay low as Cassidy had come down with a fever. Turkey had been a big milestone for us all, an adventure we were glad we’d undertaken.

Next we headed back to France, to the Provencal village of St Remy where we were to catch up with Nanna, (Julie's mum) for a month.

Easter Sunday - Lake Como

WoodWalkAbout

Wood Walkabout

MARCH:
ITALY:

Amalfi & Pompeii
Tuscany (Chianti, Sienna, Piza, Florence, Rome)

Amalfi/Pompeii: (aver. 10 deg. C)
As we made our final descent into southern Italy, we passed the heavily built up & densely populated city of Naples better known locally as Napoli. We had always talked about one day going to Amalfi, so our expectations upon arrival were high. We were to learn though, that travel, had no guarantees, especially where the weather and children’s health was concerned. Having successfully negotiated the tiny narrow roads with “Madge,” our monstrosity of a car (relatively speaking,) we found our apartment in the tiny mountainside village of Pergerola, next to Amalfi.

The Amalfi Coastline

Cassidy & Mitchell on our balcony in Pergerola

Littered beach in Majori

Following a comprehensive debrief by our host, Monica, on everything we needed to know and the stuff we didn’t know why we should know, ( like which rubbish bag went in which roadside bin on which day & where the fuse boxes were,) we settled in. We were perched on the side of a mountain above countless lemon grove terraces which began at the sea, whilst above us, towered the tiny village and a rock face which stretched up hundreds of metres.
On our arrival, the weather seemed promising, despite the thin layer of fog and mist masking the horizon. What we didn’t realise was that this was to be the best day during our stay. This hazy & overcast view of the beautiful coastline, so well documented in all the travel mags. soon gave way to 6 days of continuous rain. This coupled with black outs, storms, heating failures, road closures, malfunctioning appliances, and Sheridan getting a virus with 40 deg. fevers for most of our stay, meant that we probably missed the true Amalfi that we’d heard so much about. Knowledge of our fuse box location had become a priority!

Gardens and coast line view from The Villa Ravello

Town Square in Ravello during siesta

Sheri and Cassi sharing some pizza with some new friends

Nontheless, we did our best and In the limited opportunities we had to explore, we visited some interesting spots. The first & best of them was Ravello, (photographed) especially it’s beautiful hilltop villa overlooking the ocean, which still plays host to annual summer time opera and orchestral concerts. Majori and Minori, two seaside towns to the south west of Amalfi, towards Salerno, also offered us momentary relief from school work and some of the frustrations of our stay. As you can see, the grey, littered sand was quite a contrast to the beaches of home. Amalfi itself was pleasant, although not overwhelmingly so, given the weather. A short stroll around the town square and the promenade was about all we were up to. We would just have to imagine what it would be like in the full swing in summer.

Our attempts to see Sorrento and the Isle of Capri (which we’d both visited 20 years ago,) and Positano, (which we’d been told was a “must see” ) were foiled, because of a rock slide and road closure from all the wet weather. This was disappointing and did nothing for Julie’s peace of mind for our apartment’s stability during the two nights of bad storms that followed.

Alfonzo telling Mitchell all about the bakery at Pompeii

Sheri with her favourite Italian car

One side trip we were determined to do though, come rain and sick kids, was Pompeii. We’d left it till the end, hoping that Sheridan might be fully recovered and that the rain might have eased, neither of which eventuated. So we saw Pompeii, but only just, under the guidance of Alfonzo, who we hired out of desperation to “see something” despite the unrelenting rain and a far from well, child. He was a godsend, and Sheri, we have to say, was a trouper! We saw and learnt a lot despite our predicament, much to Mitchell’s delight, and appreciated how much more had been uncovered in the past 20 years since our last visit. It was amazing, and they’re still going, with more ruins being uncovered all the time.

Benito and Mitch at our local geletaria bar in Pergerola

Julie with the locals at mobile fruit and veg. truck

Man from Pergerola moving steel

Pergerola itself though, was what held special charm for us. Being restricted to go too far on our outings of discovery with Sheridan not peaking, meant that we got to know the local village quite well. The simple things like getting Gelato from Peitro at the Geletaria, buying fruit and veg. from the locals and recalling the church bells from the church at the top of our hill, (which rang every 15 mins. mind you,) and the size and volume of lemons that were grown everywhere, will remain fond memories of our stay. As luck would have it, we saw the horizon for the first time as we pulled away down the hill and headed for Tuscany, leaving the real Amalfi for the summer tourists.

Tuscany: (4 deg. C to 22 deg. C)

The trip to Tuscany was a long one, so much so, that we noticed the “Madge’s” temperature guage rise about 5 degrees during the course of the day. We arrived late, having driven all day, stopping into our soon to be, new local village of Panzano for supplies before meeting up with the owners of our next temporary home. The countryside of the north was so different to that of the south - so much more dry & rugged, but pretty at the same time. The rolling hills, each one carved out with its unique grape vine pattern, coupled with the scattered hilltop towns, smoke trails (from indiscriminate burning off) and stone homes with their wooden shutters , showed us why Tuscany held a reputation for rustic charm.

Our house "Compana de Remoli"

Steve and Sheri out on the terrace over the hills

Steve trying to get access to the outside world

Antonella, did not speak English, so she relied heavily on her semi-english speaking daughter to communicate with us. Not surprisingly, this debrief was short. We had landed in something of an oasis, a lovely stone farmhouse, (filled with “secret passages” as the kids liked to call them,) a pool (which we wouldn’t be using yet,) a generous sized garden and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. We couldn’t quite believe our luck and continued to pinch ourselves into the next week. It is always such a lottery when booking accommodation, you just never know what you’ll get. This, our 10th stop of the trip, would be our home for the next month and we couldn’t have been more pleased about it, after the trials of Amalfi.

Cassi hard at school in the kitchen

Cyclists in Panzano

Cassi and Mitch with an Italian Scooter-truck

Panzano In Chianti as the name suggests is part of the Chianti wine region, one of the better known wine regions of Italy. Our house was just a 300m walk to the village of Panzano and was on the direct bus route to Florence. Located exactly half way between Florence and Sienna, with some of the most drivable and scenic roads we’d come across, it was a mecca for passing cyclists and motorbikes . So much so that on the weekends it was like living next to Philip Island or Albert Park raceway listening to the Ducati’s doing what they do best. Panzano had all the essential shops and a few non essential ones as well. It’s butcher was famous locally, we were told, with people coming from miles around just to experience his lunches outback and smorgasboard servery out front.

Much to Julie and Sheridan’s delight Panzano, also hosted a regular Sunday market in the town square, so this became a regular feature. The kids enjoyed seeing “the cheese man” each week as he freely gave them samples of his beloved parmesan, which they’d all grown to love. The fruit and veg. man was also a hit, as we couldn’t get over how different the fruit and veg. tasted relative to home. The capsicums, tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries in particular, were amazing, so firm and crisp and full of flavour, like nothing we’d ever tasted.

Sheridan and Guillietta making hand made pasta

The girls sporting their new Italian hairdo's hairdresser, Elysia in Greve

Learning about Chianti wines with Stefano in Panzano

Our new found food prowess prompted Julie and Sheridan to do a traditional Tuscan cooking class with a lady in the local village whilst we were there. In her home among the vineyards, Guilietta guided them through the preparation of a three course meal, including handmade pasta. Steve, Mitch and Cassi were quick to take up Guilietta’s offer to come back and try the results a few hours later. It was amazing! It tasted so good, but was so simple, (when you have a pasta machine, that is.) Sheridan proved to be quite the whiz in the kitchen even showing up her mum with her pasta making technique. She had always been interested in cooking at home, and had been preparing salads & playing waitress whilst we’d been away, so she really took to it.
Being in one of Italy’s best wine regions really required some further investigation. During an afternoon walk up to the old part of Panzano, set high up on the hill, we stumbled upon Stefano, the local wine merchant at “Accademia,” his wine shop. A few reds later, we realised that apart from being a lovely guy who had spent considerable time working in Palm Beach and Dolls Point in Sydney, he really knew his stuff, and deserved the title of Wine Professor as he liked to call himself. Regular visits during our stay soon followed.

Our second closest town, was called Greve (pronounced Gravy) was just 5km away. We spent quite a bit of time there, because of the supermarket & the greater selection of shops. If the truth be known, it also had the best chocolate gelato we’d ever tasted, so was a natural magnet when deciding where to get bulk supplies. Here we made friends with Lordana, from the Laundromat, and Elysia, the local hairdresser, both of whom spoke relatively good English and were thrilled to be able to try out their skills. In Italy, English is not compulsive at school and is only learnt if elected in secondary school or university.

We were so taken with our little spot of paradise, that our glowing reports, (especially the warmer weather,) soon prompted an impromptu, long weekend visit by Nick and Kirsten from Scotland. Being only an hour and a half’s flight away it was very doable. The kids were beside themselves to see them. So excited were they, to see people they knew, other than their parents! Nick and Kirsten, whilst eager to see us too, were excited to be leaving the Scottish winter behind them for some of that Tuscan sun. But as we found in Amalfi, you can’t always bank on the weather, and despite the 22 degrees we’d been experiencing prior to their visit, the weekend they came it snowed! It not only snowed (lightly of course,) but it was incredibly windy and rained a lot making it virtually impossible to enjoy all the outside vantage points we’d raved about.

Three local pastry chefs lighting the candles at Montifioralle Fritter Festival

Flag dancing

The hilltop town of Montifioralle which dates back over 1ooo years

Despite the weather, we introduced them to all our local haunts, and visited the medieval hilltop town of Montifioralle for it’s annual Fritter Festival. Here we enjoyed flag dancing displays by local children and their parents and a taste of the enormous custard topped birthday cake to mark the 40th Anniversary of something, although we weren’t sure what. We must have lost that in the translation....Oh well, never one to refuse the offer of a good cake, we indulged and got into the spirit, mixing it up with the locals who were out in force.

Nick and Kirsten were also treated to some of the newly found traditions that a month long stay had given us the luxury of having. To the childrens delight, they were good sports, participating with great enthusiasm . A favourite was the Friday night disco held in the underground bunker room, closely followed, (pardon the pun,) by Little Athletics Wood Style which involved a lap through the garden in the quickest time possible. The most memorable though would have to be the Saturday night children’s Art show where Mitchell and Cassidy auctioned their drawings in “Sheridan’s Crystal Gardens Cafe,” whilst she served refreshments , (for a price.) The bidding was fierce, with the most sort after pieces of the night being their individual interpretations of “Uncle Nick Running” which fetched a whopping 2 Euros, 50. With no TV around, creative money making enterprises had become quite the thing as the children tried to extend their pocket money .

Out for lunch at Lamole with Nick & Kirsten

Steve, Kirsten and Nick, limbering up for some artwork bidding (good tactic's on the waitresse's part.)

Mitch and Cassi with the highest ranking pieces of the night, entitled, "Uncle Nick Running 1 & 2"

Panzano was ideally located so day trips were very easy. We visited Sienna for the first time in 20 years and found it hadn’t changed a lot, possibly with a few more designer shops. The main Piazza, “ Piazza Del Campo” where the Palio (the famous horse races) are still held in the town square twice a year, still acted as a great meeting place for the locals, (especially the men who seemed to congregate for a chat.) Mitchell and Steve made hay whilst the girls perused the shops, checking out the Museo dell’Opera and climbed the tower.
Climbing tall buildings was becoming a habit. Being just over an hour from Piza, meant that a trip to climb the leaning tower was a must. Little did we know that you had to be 8yrs old before you were to do it. Some skilful reselling by Steve, and a couple of scalped tickets later, Cassidy took on a very grown up persona instantly graduating to eight, so she could partake in the experience. Thankfully she coped with the steps so no one was any the wiser.

Mich holding up the clock tower in Sienna

Cassi (now 8 yrs old,) at the top of the Leaning tower of Piza

On the way back from Piza we stopped by the lovely, and surprisingly, little known town of Artemina. Here we had lunch at yet another Buon Ricordo Restaurant, called La Defina. Restaurants throughout Italy that are part of the Buon Ricordo group are all individual, and serve regional dishes typical of their location. We have visited a no. of them during our stay and had begun to collect the complimentary pasta plate at each one which showed the speciality dish as a momento. Buon Ricordo, we were told means “happy memory.”

Receiving our Buon Ricodo Plate at La Defina Restaurant

The kids in Artemina

San Gimignano towers at dusk

San Gimignano was a real find, being just under an hour's drive away. It is a medievil village with Manhattan like towers, something quite unusual for those times. With some very charming cobblestone walkways, and quaint shops, like most of these small villages, it remained pedestrian only, with no room for cars. We arrived late in the afternoon on our way back from Sienna, luckilly catching the end of the town's feast day celebrations. Despite a few market stalls still being around in the evening, we probably didn't get to see as much of it as we'd have liked, but we could see it could have easily been the sole destination for the day. Oh well, something for next time.....

We also visited Florence twice, whilst collecting and farewelling Nick and Kirsten who had come via Florence to and from Piza for their direct flights for Edinburgh. Sadly both days were not good ones weather wise, but it didn't matter as we mainly just popped in and out of museums, eateries and shops. We climbed the Duomo which was enormous for a good view of the city, where Julie got slightly claustrophobic & Mitch very aware of heights. Both were glad to get down, and vowed never to repeat the exercise. We did all the usual things like seeing Michaelangelo’s David, visiting the Uffizi Museum to see Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and

“Spring “ and checking out the scarf and leather shops.

Rome was also on our agenda but required more time being two and a half hour's away, so we planned a 3 night stay there the last week of our time in Tuscany. We had the most fantastic time, it was a real adventure, details of which (like having mass with the Pope in St Peter's Basilica,) will follow in the next blog, along with Chinque Terre, Lake Como and Anzac Day in Turkey.