A trip to Tuscany, the Cinque Terre and Puglia
Day 1 - Heading South - 27/09/2014
I had awoken in my childhood bedroom at my parents house, having travelled here from York. The idea being to drop off our kitten Meira, who was now sat on the bed looking at me, almost as if she knew I was going away. Jennifer had stayed at her parents’ house and we were now both getting ready simultaneously, my job being to book some last minute tickets and pick up the hire car, which we would take to Gatwick Airport.
Once we were ready and said our goodbyes, we set off down the M1 to Gatwick, being sure to grumble at all the road works along the way. The drive down was pretty uneventful and once refueled, we dropped the car off and headed into the airport. Once in departures, we refueled ourselves with a pulled pork sandwich and expensive pint from Wetherspoons, promising ourselves that would be the last crap food that we would eat for some time. The flight down to Pisa was comfortable and over before we knew it. We stepped out into a cool but humid Italian evening. We knew our lodging for the night was close but had no clue which direction it was once out of the terminal building. Our good friend Google Maps soon set us right and a short walk led us straight to a seemingly empty apartment building where were met by a very pleasant Sicilian girl who checked us in, and - upon hearing our planned itinerary and upcoming trip to the Cinque Terre- confirmed that it was a beautiful place and very romantic, to which we both blushed and grinned back.
We got into our spacious studio apartment and suddenly realized that we were seriously tired. We climbed into bed and were sure to enjoy some Italian TV- Mostly badly dubbed old American films- before drifting off to sleep, looking forward to seeing what this great country might have in store for us.
Once we were ready and said our goodbyes, we set off down the M1 to Gatwick, being sure to grumble at all the road works along the way. The drive down was pretty uneventful and once refueled, we dropped the car off and headed into the airport. Once in departures, we refueled ourselves with a pulled pork sandwich and expensive pint from Wetherspoons, promising ourselves that would be the last crap food that we would eat for some time. The flight down to Pisa was comfortable and over before we knew it. We stepped out into a cool but humid Italian evening. We knew our lodging for the night was close but had no clue which direction it was once out of the terminal building. Our good friend Google Maps soon set us right and a short walk led us straight to a seemingly empty apartment building where were met by a very pleasant Sicilian girl who checked us in, and - upon hearing our planned itinerary and upcoming trip to the Cinque Terre- confirmed that it was a beautiful place and very romantic, to which we both blushed and grinned back.
We got into our spacious studio apartment and suddenly realized that we were seriously tired. We climbed into bed and were sure to enjoy some Italian TV- Mostly badly dubbed old American films- before drifting off to sleep, looking forward to seeing what this great country might have in store for us.
Day 2 - Landmarks - 28/09/2014
A full and good night sleep (for me anyway) meant that we were feeling slightly better and ready for our first day. As promised the night before, our breakfast was delivered straight to our door – coffee, juice and a few rolls with jam and butter, nothing special but it would set us up for a while.
The plan was to take a quick trip out to see the famous Leaning Tower at the Campo dei Miracoli before heading to Florence, because we couldn’t make a stop in Pisa without seeing the tower, no matter how brief.
We made a short walk back to the airport and got in a taxi. The drive through town revealed a charming Italian town, slightly run down buildings, but painted in such vibrant shades gave it a real warm Italian feel. We got out and walked through an arch way which revealed a square containing a huge baptistery, cathedral and the iconic tower in the background. I always set my expectations realistically when visiting a very famous landmark, when you’ve seen a place on TV and film so many times they already feel very familiar- The Eiffel Tower, Acropolis heck, even Big Ben. But the leaning tower (like the previous landmarks) is quite simply stunning, as well as its surroundings. It was only 9am but the crowds were already starting to build, most people holding their arms up and doing the “look at me, I’m holding up the tower” pose as their photographer barked orders like “left a little”, “up a bit” and “look more intense!” Jennifer and I decided to be hipsters and do no such thing. I did however take great pleasure in amassing an array of pictures of all these people, which I promised myself to make into some kind of photo montage when I return.
(you can see the montage down at the bottom of this diary!)
The plan was to take a quick trip out to see the famous Leaning Tower at the Campo dei Miracoli before heading to Florence, because we couldn’t make a stop in Pisa without seeing the tower, no matter how brief.
We made a short walk back to the airport and got in a taxi. The drive through town revealed a charming Italian town, slightly run down buildings, but painted in such vibrant shades gave it a real warm Italian feel. We got out and walked through an arch way which revealed a square containing a huge baptistery, cathedral and the iconic tower in the background. I always set my expectations realistically when visiting a very famous landmark, when you’ve seen a place on TV and film so many times they already feel very familiar- The Eiffel Tower, Acropolis heck, even Big Ben. But the leaning tower (like the previous landmarks) is quite simply stunning, as well as its surroundings. It was only 9am but the crowds were already starting to build, most people holding their arms up and doing the “look at me, I’m holding up the tower” pose as their photographer barked orders like “left a little”, “up a bit” and “look more intense!” Jennifer and I decided to be hipsters and do no such thing. I did however take great pleasure in amassing an array of pictures of all these people, which I promised myself to make into some kind of photo montage when I return.
(you can see the montage down at the bottom of this diary!)
After soaking in the beauty, history and atmosphere of the place and admiring the tower from all angles, we left the square and hailed a taxi back to our apartment. Once packed up, we left the apartment, passing an adorable puppy in reception and dragged our heavy suitcases on a grueling, but short walk to the train station. We had read that train was the simplest way to travel around Italy and hoped that these rumours proved true. After purchasing our tickets at a self service machine and validated them in another (which you MUST do in Italy to avoid fines), we waited for our train, which would take us on the next stage of our trip, Florence.
The hour-long train journey was hectic yet comfortable, once I had hauled our cases up to the overhead racks. We seemed to have picked the one train carriage that had graffiti on the outside so I struggled to see much out of the windows as we passed through Tuscany so took time to write in this journal and begin the book I had bought for the trip (The Day of the Triffids – if anyone cares).
We arrived in Florence and headed through the busy station out into the busy street. I had a map and so guided us past the beautiful Santa Maria Novella and across the Ponte Alla Carraia over the river Arno (past lots of grey t-shirted folk whom were doing some kind of charity walk) and down to our hotel- the Palazzo Guicciardini, hidden behind a large wooden door down a tiny side street. We were welcomed by a very friendly and helpful Italian fellow who checked us in and scribbled all over my map with all the best places to see in the City. We also asked for dinner reservations, which he kindly helped with (something we have found essential when we travel to avoid tourist traps and shite food – and we haven’t actually been led astray yet). He then showed us to our incredible hotel room (one of only 7 in the hotel) in this stunning 15th century renaissance building. The high ceilings were covered in an angelic mural reflecting the boom in ‘art for arts sake’ that Florence is historically famous for. Jen and I grinned at each other whilst we were shown around. We got changed and headed out to explore the City.
We soon stumbled upon a Gelaterie and decided to indulge in a huge cone each, packed with two flavours, and yes, it was the best ice cream eather of us had ever tasted. We sat on the bridge and ate whilst looking over the Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge just down the river. We then took a walk to Piazza de Pitti which acts as the entrance to Boboli Gardens, unfortunately we soon found that the gardens were closed due to a storm that had occurred a few weeks earlier – oh well, plenty more to see.
We crossed the river and found the Piazza della Signoria, home of the hugely impressive Palazzo Vecchio (which translates literally as ‘Old Palace’) dating back to 1322 and the home of politics in the city for centuries. The square was also home to an array of large and imposing marble statues of various Roman/Greek gods and heroes incuding Neptune, Jupiter and Perseus, who proudly holds up the head of the slain Gorgon, Medusa. We soaked in the sights and headed up the street to towards the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore and the famous Duomo – spending some time walking around and gawking at the colossal scale and beauty of the building’s neo gothic architecture. We then deciede to cross Ponte Vecchio (‘old bridge’) past the various jewellary shops that have been there for centuries after the butchers, tanners and blacksmiths were evicted in 1593 due to their noise and stenches. From here we worked our way down the river and up a large set of stairs to the entrance of Palazzo Michelangelo, which was said to offer magnificent views of the city. We were not disappointed.
We crossed the river and found the Piazza della Signoria, home of the hugely impressive Palazzo Vecchio (which translates literally as ‘Old Palace’) dating back to 1322 and the home of politics in the city for centuries. The square was also home to an array of large and imposing marble statues of various Roman/Greek gods and heroes incuding Neptune, Jupiter and Perseus, who proudly holds up the head of the slain Gorgon, Medusa. We soaked in the sights and headed up the street to towards the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore and the famous Duomo – spending some time walking around and gawking at the colossal scale and beauty of the building’s neo gothic architecture. We then deciede to cross Ponte Vecchio (‘old bridge’) past the various jewellary shops that have been there for centuries after the butchers, tanners and blacksmiths were evicted in 1593 due to their noise and stenches. From here we worked our way down the river and up a large set of stairs to the entrance of Palazzo Michelangelo, which was said to offer magnificent views of the city. We were not disappointed.
I bought myself a Birra Moretti from a local vendor and we sat on the stairs overlooking this magical place. We couldn’t help but smile as the sun slowly went down and we -along with the other visitors sat on the steps- were serenaded by a local busker playing some nice, slow Italian songs on her guitar.
After some time we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before heading out for a meal. The restaurant we were recommended was full for the evening so we booked a table for tomorrow night and found another to eat at tonight, a small underground restaurant, which served great food. Jen started with Parma Ham and Melon and I had a selection of meats. We then both had Beef dishes with various toppings, both delicious.
Following the meal we took a quick walk back through the city to the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio, now much quieter and much more enchanting, like most places at night, once the masses of day trippers have gone home.
Bed time.
Day 3 - one thousand steps - 29/09/2014
An incredible sleep followed and we went to breakfast feeling much better. The lady who served us was very friendly and was excited to hear of our upcoming trip to the Cinque Terre, which made two Italians thus far. The plan today was to visit the inside of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and Duomo. When we got there however we found that girls weren’t allowed in wearing shorts – whoops. This meant that Jen had to get changed. After this slight hiccup we were back in line and headed in. The Cathedral was incredible, with the main attraction being the famous dome with a beautiful renaissance mural depicting the Last Judgement of Man, including some very nasty and violent depictions of hell. We also ventured down into the crypts which housed medieval tombs and incredible stone masonry work. After this, it was time to conquer the dome itself and after a short queue, we went up the 463 steps right up past the murals and to the top, offering incredible views on this wonderful place. Once safely back down to ground level, we took a break at a place called ‘Black Bar’ for a toastie and drink.
The next stop was back up 276 feet to the top of the Campanille bel tower, situated right next to the Duomo. This time the hike up was much more intense on our legs, but the resulting sight of the city and Duomo itself was well worth it. Back down we went. Next up was a stop at Santa Croce, A gothic cathedral from 1293 which was quite simply the most beautiful church I have ever been inside. The church houses the tombs of Gallileo, Michelangelo, Nicollo Machievelli and a cenotaph to Dant (of ‘Divine Comedy’ fame). Whilst neither of us are remotely religious, it was a humbling experience to be able to pay our respects to these great men of history. The churched also housed one of the earliest depictions of Christ on a cross.
We then headed back across the river up to our favourite spot on the stairs at Palazzo Michelangelo for another beer whilst watching the sunset over the beautiful city. A wedding couple came past for their photogrpahs and everyone clapped and cheered. A busker once again joined us, this time performing English language pop songs in a thick Italian accent. Basically, a good time had by all.
The next stop was back up 276 feet to the top of the Campanille bel tower, situated right next to the Duomo. This time the hike up was much more intense on our legs, but the resulting sight of the city and Duomo itself was well worth it. Back down we went. Next up was a stop at Santa Croce, A gothic cathedral from 1293 which was quite simply the most beautiful church I have ever been inside. The church houses the tombs of Gallileo, Michelangelo, Nicollo Machievelli and a cenotaph to Dant (of ‘Divine Comedy’ fame). Whilst neither of us are remotely religious, it was a humbling experience to be able to pay our respects to these great men of history. The churched also housed one of the earliest depictions of Christ on a cross.
We then headed back across the river up to our favourite spot on the stairs at Palazzo Michelangelo for another beer whilst watching the sunset over the beautiful city. A wedding couple came past for their photogrpahs and everyone clapped and cheered. A busker once again joined us, this time performing English language pop songs in a thick Italian accent. Basically, a good time had by all.
We watched the sun go down with heavy hearts, knowing this was our last night in Florence.
Trying to compare this trip so far with our Greek holiday from a few years ago, we decided it was kind of like the movies ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’, both fantastic, but your personal favourite would lie purely in your preference in genre. Sadly, this is generally how my brain tends to work.
We headed back down the hill and changed at our hotel ready to head out to the restaurant we had booked at the night before. What fallowed was an amazing meal of meats, cheeses and a wonderful marinated beef carpaccio, followed by desert, all of course enjoyed with bottle of local Tuscan wine. We took one more weary stroll to Piazza della Signoria to take in the beauty of the Palace and statues once more, as well as touching the Bronze Boar statue in Mercate Nuove for good luck. We then took one more hike up to our favourite spot on the stairs to see the city all lit up once more, wondering how many stairs we had actually climbed today. I estimated close to 1000 - worth every one. We walked wearily back to our hotel, passing a monk with whom we shared a friendly ‘Buona sera’.
Florence had been a dream of a visit that we were not looking forward to waking up from. A return visit seems inevitable. I hope so.
Time for the next leg of our trip, just up the coast to the Cinque Terre – the ‘Five Lands’ of Italy.
Trying to compare this trip so far with our Greek holiday from a few years ago, we decided it was kind of like the movies ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’, both fantastic, but your personal favourite would lie purely in your preference in genre. Sadly, this is generally how my brain tends to work.
We headed back down the hill and changed at our hotel ready to head out to the restaurant we had booked at the night before. What fallowed was an amazing meal of meats, cheeses and a wonderful marinated beef carpaccio, followed by desert, all of course enjoyed with bottle of local Tuscan wine. We took one more weary stroll to Piazza della Signoria to take in the beauty of the Palace and statues once more, as well as touching the Bronze Boar statue in Mercate Nuove for good luck. We then took one more hike up to our favourite spot on the stairs to see the city all lit up once more, wondering how many stairs we had actually climbed today. I estimated close to 1000 - worth every one. We walked wearily back to our hotel, passing a monk with whom we shared a friendly ‘Buona sera’.
Florence had been a dream of a visit that we were not looking forward to waking up from. A return visit seems inevitable. I hope so.
Time for the next leg of our trip, just up the coast to the Cinque Terre – the ‘Five Lands’ of Italy.
Day 4 - Leaving the Renaissance behind - 30/09/2014
Another deep sleep followed as testament to how tired we were.
Our train to Pisa, which would then take us up the coast wasn’t until 11:30 so we took our time getting ready after breakfast. We did however, have a slight panic when double checking our train and seeing that it said Firenze Rifredi, not Santa Maria Novella in the centre of town. A quick checkout followed, with the same fellow who had checked us in, which seemed like mere moments before. He smiled when we mentioned heading to Cinque Terre but warned of some rain for tomorrow. “It’s ok” I said, “We’re English, we’re used to a bit of rain”.
We left our wonderful hotel and sped across town trying to catch an earlier train out of Firenze SM Novella. Upon seeing the queues at the station, we pretty much accepted that we would miss it. We decided to queue anyway and found that another was leaving for Pisa at 11:30 – Success!
We boarded and made the return trip to Pisa and then changed there for La Spezia, only just managing to make our very tight change over. We got talking to a Canadian couple called Judy and Martin on the train. At La Spezia we made another quick change to Riomaggiore with our new friends. They had been travelling around Italy and were spending a few days here, but had not yet found a place to stay. Arriving in Riomaggiore we parted ways and headed out into the square.
A deep broken glass Italian voice behind me says “Excuse me, are you Jonathan?”
We turn around to see a middle aged burly dude “I am Paulo” he says. “I will take you to your apartment”. Sounds good, Paulo.
He took us through a long decorated tunnel. I ask where he was from originally and he tells me that he was born here and after a brief stint in Milan, he moved back here for the slower pace and to be back by the sea. I already could see why. The tunnel lead us out to a high street which climbed up a hill. Bars and shops line the street on either side. We continued down some stairs and through another tunnel past a diving school. There we were met with one of the most picturesque sights of my life, a beautiful but quaint fishing harbor with multi coloured boats bobbing up and down in the water, surrounded eitherside by tall buildings painted in various colours, with more boats dotted around on the courtyard. I turned to Jennifer, whose shocked expression confirmed to me that I wasn't dreaming. Paulo took us up to one of the buildings overlooking the harbor and lets us into our apartment. “We don’t need gyms here.” he said as he hauled one of our cases up the steep flight of stairs as I followed wearily behind with mine.
Our train to Pisa, which would then take us up the coast wasn’t until 11:30 so we took our time getting ready after breakfast. We did however, have a slight panic when double checking our train and seeing that it said Firenze Rifredi, not Santa Maria Novella in the centre of town. A quick checkout followed, with the same fellow who had checked us in, which seemed like mere moments before. He smiled when we mentioned heading to Cinque Terre but warned of some rain for tomorrow. “It’s ok” I said, “We’re English, we’re used to a bit of rain”.
We left our wonderful hotel and sped across town trying to catch an earlier train out of Firenze SM Novella. Upon seeing the queues at the station, we pretty much accepted that we would miss it. We decided to queue anyway and found that another was leaving for Pisa at 11:30 – Success!
We boarded and made the return trip to Pisa and then changed there for La Spezia, only just managing to make our very tight change over. We got talking to a Canadian couple called Judy and Martin on the train. At La Spezia we made another quick change to Riomaggiore with our new friends. They had been travelling around Italy and were spending a few days here, but had not yet found a place to stay. Arriving in Riomaggiore we parted ways and headed out into the square.
A deep broken glass Italian voice behind me says “Excuse me, are you Jonathan?”
We turn around to see a middle aged burly dude “I am Paulo” he says. “I will take you to your apartment”. Sounds good, Paulo.
He took us through a long decorated tunnel. I ask where he was from originally and he tells me that he was born here and after a brief stint in Milan, he moved back here for the slower pace and to be back by the sea. I already could see why. The tunnel lead us out to a high street which climbed up a hill. Bars and shops line the street on either side. We continued down some stairs and through another tunnel past a diving school. There we were met with one of the most picturesque sights of my life, a beautiful but quaint fishing harbor with multi coloured boats bobbing up and down in the water, surrounded eitherside by tall buildings painted in various colours, with more boats dotted around on the courtyard. I turned to Jennifer, whose shocked expression confirmed to me that I wasn't dreaming. Paulo took us up to one of the buildings overlooking the harbor and lets us into our apartment. “We don’t need gyms here.” he said as he hauled one of our cases up the steep flight of stairs as I followed wearily behind with mine.
Paulo opens up the shutters revealing a beautiful view of the harbor and gives us some advice on how to get around the Cinque Terre, as well as some restaurant recommendations with some discount.
We didn’t stay in the apartment long, instead heading out to enjoy the harbor. We got ourselves a Gelato and followed the cliff round to a quiet rocky beach. Following this we walked back and headed into the town and spent some time exploring this maze of back alleys up to a church with children playing all around. We then headed back to the station and got a two minute train (literally) to the next village along – Manarola. This was another beautiful village and harbour in the same style of Riomaggiore. We walked along the Cliffside path watching people jumping off the rocks and swimming and admired the view of the harbor. The colours in the evening sun overwhelming our senses.
Heading back into Riomaggiore, we got ourselves a few drinks at ‘Bar Centrale’, a busy little place playing some great rock and roll. After that we decided rather than another restaurant, we should just buy a pizza and a bottle of wine and sit at the harbor.
This proved to be a wonderful idea as we sat wrapped in blankets on the rocks just across from our apartment, watching the boats dip up and down in the now quiet night time harbor. It was one of those moments that you already miss whilst you are actually living it, because you just know that it is something special. As we climbed into bed with the windows wide open and just the shutters closed, listening to the sea outside, we figured more of these special moments lie in wait for us in the days ahead.
We didn’t stay in the apartment long, instead heading out to enjoy the harbor. We got ourselves a Gelato and followed the cliff round to a quiet rocky beach. Following this we walked back and headed into the town and spent some time exploring this maze of back alleys up to a church with children playing all around. We then headed back to the station and got a two minute train (literally) to the next village along – Manarola. This was another beautiful village and harbour in the same style of Riomaggiore. We walked along the Cliffside path watching people jumping off the rocks and swimming and admired the view of the harbor. The colours in the evening sun overwhelming our senses.
Heading back into Riomaggiore, we got ourselves a few drinks at ‘Bar Centrale’, a busy little place playing some great rock and roll. After that we decided rather than another restaurant, we should just buy a pizza and a bottle of wine and sit at the harbor.
This proved to be a wonderful idea as we sat wrapped in blankets on the rocks just across from our apartment, watching the boats dip up and down in the now quiet night time harbor. It was one of those moments that you already miss whilst you are actually living it, because you just know that it is something special. As we climbed into bed with the windows wide open and just the shutters closed, listening to the sea outside, we figured more of these special moments lie in wait for us in the days ahead.
day 5 - Favourite little corner of Earth - 01/10/2014
As forecast, there was one hell of a storm in the night and we awoke to a rather damp harbor. We knew that there were more showers to come, but we weren’t going to let that stop us. Once ready we headed out and got a breakfast toastie in town before heading for the station. We got a hiking trail pass with our tickets and travelled to Manarola. The plan was to follow one of the trails up from Manarola, into the mountain and over to the next town, Corniglia.
We walked through the town out to the beautiful harbor and made our way around the sea wall, which took us up to a path to the towns cemetery. The cemetery was lined with tombs, each one bearing a photograph of the person buried within, all of them smiling and proud. It was really quite a beautiful spot overlooking the town and a moving environment to find one’s self in. I can certainly think of worse places to end up when the inevitable happens.
We continued up the path, moving into the town’s vineyards, the smell of ripe grapes assaulting our sences as we slowly circled the town until we found the trail to Corniglia via Volastra. We headed up some steep steps to the hills, it started to rain a little but nothing too bad. The path then led us up and around the cliffs overlooking the sea, the walk was actually pretty treacherous and we had to be careful as we moved around. We moved through more vineyards going higher and higher up into the hills, following the red and white marks painted onto the rocks every once in a while as our only navigation tool to let us know we were heading the right way. We came across some steps that took us up into Volastra, but by this point it had really started raining. Thankfully we had an umbrella, which we both huddled under. We travelled through the pretty, but wet hillside village and back out onto more Cliffside vineyards. We were now very high up after having hiked for a good hour or so. By this point the rain was very heavy. I decided to do the rest of the walk topless so I would have something dry to wear when/if we completed the hike.
We walked through the town out to the beautiful harbor and made our way around the sea wall, which took us up to a path to the towns cemetery. The cemetery was lined with tombs, each one bearing a photograph of the person buried within, all of them smiling and proud. It was really quite a beautiful spot overlooking the town and a moving environment to find one’s self in. I can certainly think of worse places to end up when the inevitable happens.
We continued up the path, moving into the town’s vineyards, the smell of ripe grapes assaulting our sences as we slowly circled the town until we found the trail to Corniglia via Volastra. We headed up some steep steps to the hills, it started to rain a little but nothing too bad. The path then led us up and around the cliffs overlooking the sea, the walk was actually pretty treacherous and we had to be careful as we moved around. We moved through more vineyards going higher and higher up into the hills, following the red and white marks painted onto the rocks every once in a while as our only navigation tool to let us know we were heading the right way. We came across some steps that took us up into Volastra, but by this point it had really started raining. Thankfully we had an umbrella, which we both huddled under. We travelled through the pretty, but wet hillside village and back out onto more Cliffside vineyards. We were now very high up after having hiked for a good hour or so. By this point the rain was very heavy. I decided to do the rest of the walk topless so I would have something dry to wear when/if we completed the hike.
We pressed on, passing some French hikers who gave us sympathetic smiles as they passed us from the warmth of their waterproof coats. The path led along more high cliffs (now complete with complimentary puddles and mud) eventually into a forest. The rain was now so heavy that even the trees weren’t providing shelter from the downpour. We were both starting to get really cold by this point but couldn’t help but laugh at the whole situation. We were having a blast. If we shouted loud enough, we wondered whether Paulo would hear us from Riomaggiore and sprint vertically up the hills to come and rescue us – no, we had to face this challenge on our own.
We travelled through the forest, knowing that we were close to Corniglia, but wondering if we would ever actually get there. Eventually, we descended down some stone steps and reached the town just as the rain had poetically started to ease off. We both looked like hell, but it was great fun and not something we will forget. We took a walk through Corniglia, with the same types of bright and colourful buildings, but this town sat at the top of a cliff unlike its sisters.
We descended down a mass of zigzagging stairs to the trainstation and headed back to Riomaggiore, desperately wanting to get warm and dry. When we got back to the apartment, I headed back out and brought back a well-deserved Pizza. We also went out to sit on the harbor to watch the Sun set illuminating the sky and the harbor in a plethora of oranges and pinks, just stunning (and a massive change to the weather of merely a few hours earlier). Later, we walked into the town and up the hill to a restaurant we had booked in at. The atmosphere was very relaxed, the food fantastic and the wine plentiful. We sauntered lazily back through the now quiet main street, back to the harbor where we sat for a while with our feet dipped in the cool water, our favourite little corner of the Earth. We knew we had a full day planned for tomorrow so hit the hay. It naturally didn’t take long for us to fall asleep.
We travelled through the forest, knowing that we were close to Corniglia, but wondering if we would ever actually get there. Eventually, we descended down some stone steps and reached the town just as the rain had poetically started to ease off. We both looked like hell, but it was great fun and not something we will forget. We took a walk through Corniglia, with the same types of bright and colourful buildings, but this town sat at the top of a cliff unlike its sisters.
We descended down a mass of zigzagging stairs to the trainstation and headed back to Riomaggiore, desperately wanting to get warm and dry. When we got back to the apartment, I headed back out and brought back a well-deserved Pizza. We also went out to sit on the harbor to watch the Sun set illuminating the sky and the harbor in a plethora of oranges and pinks, just stunning (and a massive change to the weather of merely a few hours earlier). Later, we walked into the town and up the hill to a restaurant we had booked in at. The atmosphere was very relaxed, the food fantastic and the wine plentiful. We sauntered lazily back through the now quiet main street, back to the harbor where we sat for a while with our feet dipped in the cool water, our favourite little corner of the Earth. We knew we had a full day planned for tomorrow so hit the hay. It naturally didn’t take long for us to fall asleep.
Day 6 - Slow it all down - 02/10/2014
This morning we made an effort to get out early and make the most of the day. We were hence dressed, ready and at the station for 8:30am. We got a train to Corniglia, which we had only seen briefly after our monsoon soaked hike yesterday. We departed the station and walked back up the zigzagging stairs through the maze of narrow streets. Corniglia provides no access to the sea (probably the reason for it being the quieter of the towns) but provides some incredible views from atop the cliff. The weather was clearly going to be much better than yesterday. We got ourselves a croissant each for breakfast (and a sandwich for later) and set off for the coastal hike to Vernazza – town #4 of 5. After yesterday’s soaking, our shoes were still drenched so we both ambled on the hike in our flip flops – hoping that the walk woud be no where near as punishing as yesterdays. An Italian hiker seemed to think it would be, however and winced and shook his head as we passed one another.
The hike was partly shrouded in woodland but mostly hugged the coast, unlike yesterday’s mountain expedition, revealing stunning views of the sea, the coast and eventually Corniglia itself- standing proudly atop the cliff overlooking Neptune’s domain. The walk seemed to take about an hour, meandering up and down steep steps, but never getting too tough for our flip-flops, which I imagined breaking at any moment. Eventually the town of Vernazza revealed itself as we approached it from atop a hill and descended down stairs into the already bustling town. Jen told be that Vernazza was generally the busiest of the towns and this was definitely true. Despite only having 500 residents, the town was heaving with tourists.
The hike was partly shrouded in woodland but mostly hugged the coast, unlike yesterday’s mountain expedition, revealing stunning views of the sea, the coast and eventually Corniglia itself- standing proudly atop the cliff overlooking Neptune’s domain. The walk seemed to take about an hour, meandering up and down steep steps, but never getting too tough for our flip-flops, which I imagined breaking at any moment. Eventually the town of Vernazza revealed itself as we approached it from atop a hill and descended down stairs into the already bustling town. Jen told be that Vernazza was generally the busiest of the towns and this was definitely true. Despite only having 500 residents, the town was heaving with tourists.
We walked down he main street and out into a courtyard which revealed another beautiful harbor, definitely the largest of the Cinque Terre. Lined with rows of fishing boats and watched over by a quaint, but dominating church and a fort overlooking the see. We bought ourselves a gelato and sat on the harbor watching the various fishermen tending to their boats, moving at that slow and nonchalant pace, which all the locals seemed to move at. We spotted some rocks on the other side of the harbor where people were swimming and decided to get in on the action. We parked ourselves on a rock and both took turns taking a dip in the cool turquoise water with the picturesque and iconic town as a backdrop – heaven. After some time in the sea and sun, our stomachs told us that they demanded filling, we obliged with a pizza and beer, sat back up at the harbor.
We had just one more town to see, Monterosso, town #5 of 5. But before this we climbed up to the fort, which was originally a pirate look out and later a Nazi outpost in the Second World War until bombed by the British, and since rebuilt. We left the town and arrived by train in Monterosso, this town was much less spectacular and had much more of a ‘beach resort’ feel to it, with umbrellas and sunbeds lining the sand and even cars passing through, unlike the other pedestrianized villages – cars were almost an alien sight to us at this point.
We had just one more town to see, Monterosso, town #5 of 5. But before this we climbed up to the fort, which was originally a pirate look out and later a Nazi outpost in the Second World War until bombed by the British, and since rebuilt. We left the town and arrived by train in Monterosso, this town was much less spectacular and had much more of a ‘beach resort’ feel to it, with umbrellas and sunbeds lining the sand and even cars passing through, unlike the other pedestrianized villages – cars were almost an alien sight to us at this point.
We laid on the beach for a while and had a little walk around town before heading back to beautiful Vernazza.
We had some time to kill before our dinner reservation at 7:00, so sat once again at the harbor, watching the locals chatting and laughing as the sun went down, something which they seem to do every night – just head out into the streets to socialize and watch the world go by. What a great way to live life, and certainly made us question the way we live ours, with all our worries and stresses. Why not just slow it all down a little bit? I promised myself I would do this as we watched the sun go down and bath the town in orange light before dousing it in shadow.
We ate at a restaurant in the courtyard by the harbor, which Paulo had recommended. I had a fresh Sea Bream, not dissimilar to one I had in Santorini a few years back – the head, the tail, the whole damn thing. Jen had steak, and we followed up with dessert (chocolate mousse and sponge cake), washed down with another local Cinque Terre bottle of wine. After the meal and chatting with a young couple from Atlanta sat next to us, we took a little walk around town and saw some of the pictures of the devastation a flood in 2011 had caused to the town, although you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at the place now.
After catching a late train back to Riomaggiore, and shuffled wearily through the tunnel to the harbor once. Our time in Cinque Terre was sadly coming to an end, but had already given us more than we could have hoped for. We said goodbye to our last evening in this enchanted place and drifted off to sleep.
We had some time to kill before our dinner reservation at 7:00, so sat once again at the harbor, watching the locals chatting and laughing as the sun went down, something which they seem to do every night – just head out into the streets to socialize and watch the world go by. What a great way to live life, and certainly made us question the way we live ours, with all our worries and stresses. Why not just slow it all down a little bit? I promised myself I would do this as we watched the sun go down and bath the town in orange light before dousing it in shadow.
We ate at a restaurant in the courtyard by the harbor, which Paulo had recommended. I had a fresh Sea Bream, not dissimilar to one I had in Santorini a few years back – the head, the tail, the whole damn thing. Jen had steak, and we followed up with dessert (chocolate mousse and sponge cake), washed down with another local Cinque Terre bottle of wine. After the meal and chatting with a young couple from Atlanta sat next to us, we took a little walk around town and saw some of the pictures of the devastation a flood in 2011 had caused to the town, although you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at the place now.
After catching a late train back to Riomaggiore, and shuffled wearily through the tunnel to the harbor once. Our time in Cinque Terre was sadly coming to an end, but had already given us more than we could have hoped for. We said goodbye to our last evening in this enchanted place and drifted off to sleep.
Day 7 - Planes, trains and left hand drives - 03/10/2014
Our final morning in the Cinque Terre had arrived with the sunrise over Riomaggiore harbor, but we weren’t done just yet.
We packed up our gear and I called the apartment owners so that we could check out. It wasn’t Paulo who came, but another man named Michael. I was about to ask if we could stash our cases as our train wasn’t until just before 3pm, but Michael offered before I had the chance to open my mouth. He took us up to another hidden side street above the harbor after we had our silent goodbyes to the wonderful apartment we had called home for the last few days with that wonderful view – trying desperately to imprint it into our minds. We stowed our cases in a hidden room behind a large wooden door and were handed the key. We were then led to the office where we checked out, paid and promised Michael (and ourselves) that we would one day return. “We will wait for you”, he said with a smile.
I bet you say that to all the tourists Michael…
We packed up our gear and I called the apartment owners so that we could check out. It wasn’t Paulo who came, but another man named Michael. I was about to ask if we could stash our cases as our train wasn’t until just before 3pm, but Michael offered before I had the chance to open my mouth. He took us up to another hidden side street above the harbor after we had our silent goodbyes to the wonderful apartment we had called home for the last few days with that wonderful view – trying desperately to imprint it into our minds. We stowed our cases in a hidden room behind a large wooden door and were handed the key. We were then led to the office where we checked out, paid and promised Michael (and ourselves) that we would one day return. “We will wait for you”, he said with a smile.
I bet you say that to all the tourists Michael…
With some time to enjoy on the town before we had to catch our train back to Florence, we bought ourselves a chocolate croissant each and headed back down the harbor with our breakfast. We sat on a rock just down from our apartment and soaked up the sun, watching the boats in the harbor as the first of the day-trippers arrive. Once the sun had moved across the sky we headed out of the harbor and around the cliff to the secluded pebble beach, which the sun had now hit. Jen sunbathed and I went for one last swim in the bay. Just as we were leaving, we bumped into Judy and Martin, the Canadian couple whom we had met on the train just a few days before. They had also managed to find themselves a nice room overlooking the Riomaggiore harbor on the other side. I was impressed. We said our goodbyes and wished one another a safe trip home and left the beach. Heading back into town for some lunch we found a small fish takeaway called ‘Mamma Mia’ which was loosely themed to the play/movie, although having seen neither, the theme was somewhat lost on us. Jennifer got some fish and chips and I bought a cone of fried mixed seafood, which contained an array of recently caught small fish, octopus and calamari rings, it looked nasty but tasted delicious, even the faces and tentacles. We followed this up with another incredible gelato and ate down on the harbour one last time with our feet dipped in the water as we soaked in the sun and atmosphere one last time. Sadly we could not pause time, and had to leave. An overwhelming sadness come over us both as we took one last look at the harbor before heading through the tunnel one last time. Riomaggiore had become one of our favourite little places in the world and it tugged on our heartstrings to leave. We fought back the lump in our throats as we collected our cases, dropped the keys through the large door and left the main street, through the long tunnel out to the train station.
It wasn’t long before we were back on the train doing the previous journey in reverse, changing at La Spezia, Pisa and getting off at the familiar station in Florence.
We took a taxi to the airport, which revealed more of the City to us and made us equally miss our time here and yearn to stay. We were catching a flight down to Bari, where we would then hire a car and travel around the Puglia region at Italy’s heel for a few days. Our flight to Bari was delayed by 45 minutes so we waited patiently and I bought myself a road map of the region, thinking it might come in handy in the coming days.
After a very short flight, we left the airport and picked up our hire car- an Opel Corsa, exactly the car I drive back in the UK, but a left hand drive of course. A short road trip then took us to our hotel for the evening, a large and modern hotel which did the job just fine.
Time for sleep, and then the final leg of the trip.
We took a taxi to the airport, which revealed more of the City to us and made us equally miss our time here and yearn to stay. We were catching a flight down to Bari, where we would then hire a car and travel around the Puglia region at Italy’s heel for a few days. Our flight to Bari was delayed by 45 minutes so we waited patiently and I bought myself a road map of the region, thinking it might come in handy in the coming days.
After a very short flight, we left the airport and picked up our hire car- an Opel Corsa, exactly the car I drive back in the UK, but a left hand drive of course. A short road trip then took us to our hotel for the evening, a large and modern hotel which did the job just fine.
Time for sleep, and then the final leg of the trip.
Day 8 - "Just very dark green" - 04/10/2014
After a great sleep and breakfast at the hotel, we drove back to the airport, as after hearing about the regions car theft problem, I wanted to upgrade my insurance. It may sound a bit panicky of me, but I say if you can’t afford the excess if something were to go wrong, then you best get properly insured. I was also well aware of the Italians being famous for somewhat erratic driving. A friend of mine said that an Italian had once told him that they don’t have red lights, “Just very dark green”.
We set off on our way on the crazy Italian roads, the seeming lack of any real rules of the roads lead to a loose, fun but slightly alarming driving experience. We eventually found our way to the town of Arberrobello where we stopped to see the famous Trulli houses of the region. Dating back to the middle ages (they think), these round conical limestone houses would be knocked down by their residents when the saw the tax man approach, only to rebuild it once he had left. We parked up and spent some time exploring these unique hilly streets, until the rain came. And boy did it come down. Even with an umbrella, we were pretty damp by the time we got to the car.
We set off on our way on the crazy Italian roads, the seeming lack of any real rules of the roads lead to a loose, fun but slightly alarming driving experience. We eventually found our way to the town of Arberrobello where we stopped to see the famous Trulli houses of the region. Dating back to the middle ages (they think), these round conical limestone houses would be knocked down by their residents when the saw the tax man approach, only to rebuild it once he had left. We parked up and spent some time exploring these unique hilly streets, until the rain came. And boy did it come down. Even with an umbrella, we were pretty damp by the time we got to the car.
We decided to press on down South and after an accidental detour through the centre of Lecce (the ‘Florence of the South’) we finally arrived in Otranto and our hotel, the Vittoria Resort. We had a very warm welcome from a smiling Italian lady who checked us in. She also recommended a restaurant to us in broken English.
Once in our spacious hotel room, we discovered that the weather for the next few days was going to be a complete washout. Seeing as the reason that we came down her was to sit by the pool and on the beaches, sunbathing after our tiring trips to Florence and the Cinque Terre, this seriously put a spanner in the works and left us wondering what the hell we were actually going to do for the next few days.
The amazing meal that we had at a restaurant called Retro Gusto helped to lift our spirits. The waiter brought out a trolley full of recently caught fish of varying types – some looked like species undiscovered. He explained what the chef could do with each one, how could we resist? We chose a red fish, which they served (the whole thing) on a plate in the middle of the table and gave us each a plate of spaghetti with chopped tomatoes to eat it with after a starter of a cheese selection. The incredible meal was followed by a kind of vienetta style ice cream. All washed down with another Red Wine from the Salentine peninsula. The meal, which we agreed was the best of the trip so far, mixed with the fact that we were the only non-Italians in the restaurant made us feel that we were getting a truly authentic Italian experience. After walking back to the hotel we agreed that despite the weather, we would make the best of the rest of the trip and take it a day at a time.
That could all wait until tomorrow though...
Once in our spacious hotel room, we discovered that the weather for the next few days was going to be a complete washout. Seeing as the reason that we came down her was to sit by the pool and on the beaches, sunbathing after our tiring trips to Florence and the Cinque Terre, this seriously put a spanner in the works and left us wondering what the hell we were actually going to do for the next few days.
The amazing meal that we had at a restaurant called Retro Gusto helped to lift our spirits. The waiter brought out a trolley full of recently caught fish of varying types – some looked like species undiscovered. He explained what the chef could do with each one, how could we resist? We chose a red fish, which they served (the whole thing) on a plate in the middle of the table and gave us each a plate of spaghetti with chopped tomatoes to eat it with after a starter of a cheese selection. The incredible meal was followed by a kind of vienetta style ice cream. All washed down with another Red Wine from the Salentine peninsula. The meal, which we agreed was the best of the trip so far, mixed with the fact that we were the only non-Italians in the restaurant made us feel that we were getting a truly authentic Italian experience. After walking back to the hotel we agreed that despite the weather, we would make the best of the rest of the trip and take it a day at a time.
That could all wait until tomorrow though...
Day 9 - The Abandoned Coast - 05/10/2014
We let ourselves sleep in and had a late breakfast downstairs. The weather was still set to be pretty rubbish but we decided that we would get in the car and take a road trip along the Salentine Peninsula and just see what we could find. We set off south following a map we had been given at the hotel, making brief stops along the way looking longingly at the various beaches and harbours which would have looked stunning in blue sky and sunshine. It was clearly the end of the season here as many of the small beach towns that we passed through were all but deserted. Certain parts had an almost post apocalyptic feeling to them as if the people had suddenly just upped and left The whole place felt wonderfully eerie as only one or two people were present in each town. We pictured ourselves in some kind of zombie apocalypse movie. Had the weather been good, it would have made for some amazing beach hopping.
The high winds were causing some amazing waves and we stopped to watch the local surfers do their thing for a while in a town called Torre Mozza. We eventually reached Leuca at the south of the country and followed the coast back around to the North. Turning off at Gallipoli, we headed back inland towards Otranto. With a combination of bad roads signs and an unreliable GPS, we got lost several times, even going off road for a hilarious moment across a closed road, but we eventually made it back.
We relaxed in the hotel room for a while and eventually took a walk into the city’s Old Town, all hidden behind an old fortification, the place was really quite beautiful at night and after ordering some small pizzas (and realizing that people not speaking English actually makes things quite a challenge) we headed back. We relaxed for the rest of the night, watching Italian dubbed Family Guy and a selection of Italian music videos. By 10pm, we were both out cold.
The high winds were causing some amazing waves and we stopped to watch the local surfers do their thing for a while in a town called Torre Mozza. We eventually reached Leuca at the south of the country and followed the coast back around to the North. Turning off at Gallipoli, we headed back inland towards Otranto. With a combination of bad roads signs and an unreliable GPS, we got lost several times, even going off road for a hilarious moment across a closed road, but we eventually made it back.
We relaxed in the hotel room for a while and eventually took a walk into the city’s Old Town, all hidden behind an old fortification, the place was really quite beautiful at night and after ordering some small pizzas (and realizing that people not speaking English actually makes things quite a challenge) we headed back. We relaxed for the rest of the night, watching Italian dubbed Family Guy and a selection of Italian music videos. By 10pm, we were both out cold.
Day 10 - One more bottle of Wine - 06/10/2014
Our last full day in Italy began with yet another lie in. We were certainly getting well rested down here. We went down for breakfast once again. The weather was sadly still very poor but once ready we headed out into the town to visit the Cathedral in the middle of the Old Town.
The Cathedral dated back to the 12th Century with a Crypt below from half a century earlier featuring an array of pillars, each one carved completely different to the next. The main attraction besides the stunning mosaic floor lining the whole church was the chapel which displayed the bones and skulls of the 800 citizens who were massacred by the Turks in 1480 for refusing to abandon their Christian faith. The chapel was both chilling and moving and an incredible thing to see.
After leaving the Cathedral and walking though the Old town we headed back to the hotel to escape the rain. There we chilled for a few more hours, reading, writing and reflecting. The rain subsided at around 3:30 so we headed out for a walk. All the shops and café’s were opening up again after their daily siesta, where everything seems to close down each day between the hours of 12 and 3. We bought ourselves a Gelato and ate out on the point. I had chocolate and snickers flavours and Jen had Strawberry and Cheesecake. I don’t know what it is that the Italians do differently to make Gelato so much better than our Ice Cream, but it is something we are certainly going to miss.
The Cathedral dated back to the 12th Century with a Crypt below from half a century earlier featuring an array of pillars, each one carved completely different to the next. The main attraction besides the stunning mosaic floor lining the whole church was the chapel which displayed the bones and skulls of the 800 citizens who were massacred by the Turks in 1480 for refusing to abandon their Christian faith. The chapel was both chilling and moving and an incredible thing to see.
After leaving the Cathedral and walking though the Old town we headed back to the hotel to escape the rain. There we chilled for a few more hours, reading, writing and reflecting. The rain subsided at around 3:30 so we headed out for a walk. All the shops and café’s were opening up again after their daily siesta, where everything seems to close down each day between the hours of 12 and 3. We bought ourselves a Gelato and ate out on the point. I had chocolate and snickers flavours and Jen had Strawberry and Cheesecake. I don’t know what it is that the Italians do differently to make Gelato so much better than our Ice Cream, but it is something we are certainly going to miss.
Then, just as we were finishing eating, something amazing happened. The Sun came out.
It kept disappearing behind the clouds every so often, but our day had been saved! We spent more time exploring the narror streets of Old Town Otranto, taking pictures of the stunning mix of Greek, Turkish and Barroque architecture. We also stumbled upon the Chiesetto di San Pietro, a lovely little 9th century Greek style church, which contained a range of frescoes painted on the wall, just another little hidden gem in this beautiful town. We then sat out by the harbor basking in the Sun watching the various mix of locals and tourists (and cats) in the square. Judging from the accents and languages we were picking up on, there were French, German and even one or two British and American tourists visiting the town.
Quite satisfied that our last day was a success with the belated appearance of the sun and the historical sites we had visited, we headed back to our room with a plan to head out for one last Italian meal later on.
We decided to revisit the same place as our first night here as we enjoyed it so much. We headed out for 8:30 and found the restaurant to be fairly empty with just one waiter who spoke no English. I think I did a pretty decent job ordering wine and pretending to know what I was doing when tasting it as well as ordering our meals in what I hope was slightly coherent Italian. We started with the cheese board again with some amazing little dough balls. Jen then had one of the most delicious steaks ever and I had a thick cut of Salmon. We finished with a chocolate torte for myself and a cheesecake for Jen. I even went full Italian and ended with an espresso. We sauntered back to our hotel, ready to end our last full day in this great country. Italy had been incredible. We would be sad to leave, but had quite a journey ahead of us the next day.
It kept disappearing behind the clouds every so often, but our day had been saved! We spent more time exploring the narror streets of Old Town Otranto, taking pictures of the stunning mix of Greek, Turkish and Barroque architecture. We also stumbled upon the Chiesetto di San Pietro, a lovely little 9th century Greek style church, which contained a range of frescoes painted on the wall, just another little hidden gem in this beautiful town. We then sat out by the harbor basking in the Sun watching the various mix of locals and tourists (and cats) in the square. Judging from the accents and languages we were picking up on, there were French, German and even one or two British and American tourists visiting the town.
Quite satisfied that our last day was a success with the belated appearance of the sun and the historical sites we had visited, we headed back to our room with a plan to head out for one last Italian meal later on.
We decided to revisit the same place as our first night here as we enjoyed it so much. We headed out for 8:30 and found the restaurant to be fairly empty with just one waiter who spoke no English. I think I did a pretty decent job ordering wine and pretending to know what I was doing when tasting it as well as ordering our meals in what I hope was slightly coherent Italian. We started with the cheese board again with some amazing little dough balls. Jen then had one of the most delicious steaks ever and I had a thick cut of Salmon. We finished with a chocolate torte for myself and a cheesecake for Jen. I even went full Italian and ended with an espresso. We sauntered back to our hotel, ready to end our last full day in this great country. Italy had been incredible. We would be sad to leave, but had quite a journey ahead of us the next day.
Day 11 - Never going home - 07/10/2014
The alarm clock went off at 6:30, much earlier than our last few mornings. We had more or less packed the night before so it was simply a case of showering, getting ready and setting off back up North to Bari.
On checkout the lady asked if we wanted some breakfast, so another young girl hurried around the breakfast room gathering pastries, cakes and making us sandwiches. The staff at this hotel had been both welcoming and helpful and have truly made our stay memorable. We checked out of the Vittoria hotel and left Otranto for the last time. First driving West towards Maglie, then Northwards towards Lecce and then hugging the coast past Brindisi up towards Bari. The weather was stunning today which made the drive pleasant, but left us wondering why it couldn’t have been like this for the rest of our time in Puglia. Oh well, we still have had a blast. As we drove up North, I nervously watched the fuel meter slowly go down. I wanted to return the car full to avoid the heavy charges, but was actually unsure which fuel the car took (and it said nowhere in the documents). I assumed it to be diesel like my Corsa back home, but had horrible visions of putting the wrong fuel in and causing the car to break down. I figured we had just enough fuel to get us to the Hertz office where I could double check and then fill up at a nearby station.
The counter was flashing red at me by the time we arrived and the Hertz guy told me it took ‘benzina’ – unleaded. Good job I checked. We shot back down the road, fuelled up, dropped the car off and headed into the airport. We had some time before our check in desk opened, so we went back outside to sit in the sun, topping up our tans and trying to make up for the last few days of cloud and rain.
We were flying into Berlin and then changing to a flight to London Heathrow. But just as we got to the check in desk, we heard an announcement that our first flight had been delayed for two and a half hours meaning that it would be very touch and go whether we would make our connecting flight or not.
We missed it by ten minutes and started to think that we would never go home. British Airways thankfully had another flight going out an hour and a half later and put us straight on that, although we had no idea what would happen to our suitcases. We eventually landed in Heathrow and when our bags didn’t come off the belt we had to fill in the form at BA – I was pretty much beyond caring by this point, at least they didn’t lose our bags on the way out. We picked up another hire car and began the tiring drive back up North. We finally got home at 4am.
Italy had truly been a wonderful place to visit, the sights, the history, the food, the wine and more importantly, the people had all left an impression on me. And despite only being a ten-day trip, it seemed to have really lasted. Whilst physically tiring, we both had really switched off and entered what we call ‘the bubble’ - that state of mind that you get into when on holiday, where the only things on your mind are what time you fancy having dinner, or whether to go for a swim or not. We both came back exhausted, yet relaxed and enriched. It also helps that travelling with Jennifer is just so easy and fun to do.
I very much look forward to our next adventure together.
On checkout the lady asked if we wanted some breakfast, so another young girl hurried around the breakfast room gathering pastries, cakes and making us sandwiches. The staff at this hotel had been both welcoming and helpful and have truly made our stay memorable. We checked out of the Vittoria hotel and left Otranto for the last time. First driving West towards Maglie, then Northwards towards Lecce and then hugging the coast past Brindisi up towards Bari. The weather was stunning today which made the drive pleasant, but left us wondering why it couldn’t have been like this for the rest of our time in Puglia. Oh well, we still have had a blast. As we drove up North, I nervously watched the fuel meter slowly go down. I wanted to return the car full to avoid the heavy charges, but was actually unsure which fuel the car took (and it said nowhere in the documents). I assumed it to be diesel like my Corsa back home, but had horrible visions of putting the wrong fuel in and causing the car to break down. I figured we had just enough fuel to get us to the Hertz office where I could double check and then fill up at a nearby station.
The counter was flashing red at me by the time we arrived and the Hertz guy told me it took ‘benzina’ – unleaded. Good job I checked. We shot back down the road, fuelled up, dropped the car off and headed into the airport. We had some time before our check in desk opened, so we went back outside to sit in the sun, topping up our tans and trying to make up for the last few days of cloud and rain.
We were flying into Berlin and then changing to a flight to London Heathrow. But just as we got to the check in desk, we heard an announcement that our first flight had been delayed for two and a half hours meaning that it would be very touch and go whether we would make our connecting flight or not.
We missed it by ten minutes and started to think that we would never go home. British Airways thankfully had another flight going out an hour and a half later and put us straight on that, although we had no idea what would happen to our suitcases. We eventually landed in Heathrow and when our bags didn’t come off the belt we had to fill in the form at BA – I was pretty much beyond caring by this point, at least they didn’t lose our bags on the way out. We picked up another hire car and began the tiring drive back up North. We finally got home at 4am.
Italy had truly been a wonderful place to visit, the sights, the history, the food, the wine and more importantly, the people had all left an impression on me. And despite only being a ten-day trip, it seemed to have really lasted. Whilst physically tiring, we both had really switched off and entered what we call ‘the bubble’ - that state of mind that you get into when on holiday, where the only things on your mind are what time you fancy having dinner, or whether to go for a swim or not. We both came back exhausted, yet relaxed and enriched. It also helps that travelling with Jennifer is just so easy and fun to do.
I very much look forward to our next adventure together.
Oh, and as promised…THE LEANING TOURISTS OF PISA: