A 'To Do' List

With just 8 weeks to go before we leave, it's time to work on a 'to do' list. I find that working through one of these helps relieve any anxiety about things I might forget.

Flights (with Emirates) are booked.

Hotel in Madrid is booked.

Our tour is booked. I much prefer to do my own thing, but I don't usually travel so far away for such a short time, but my daughters have to get back to work so a measly four weeks it is. We decided to go with Cosmos tours (a member of the Globus family) because they offer the most flexibility. There are some easy excursions included, but there are many more one can choose to do. These are more physically demanding and probably not for me, although I'm sure Ilana and Michelle will take a couple of them. ( can't see me, for instance, riding a camel into the desert for a dinner in an oasis, nice as it sounds.

We found a lovely Airbnb apartment in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where we will stay for the last week of our holiday. It overlooks the grounds of a castle, has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and there's a lift! A bonus. Joe assures us that it's in a safe and nice spot (Sanlúcar is his home town), and right next door to a brewhouse. Ilana and Michelle, being beer drinkers, are happy about that. The beach is just 10 minutes away, and the major shopping area is at the same distance.

We still have trains to book, for travel between Sanlúcar and Madrid. That will involve the need for us to take a bus so I have to research that aspect, especially as our first trip down there will be on a Sunday. We also need to reserve rooms in a hotel for our last night, but that can wait until we are in Madrid.

Passports have been checked, to make sure we will have a minimum of six months remaining on our last day of travel. Australian passports are valid up to expiry, but some countries demand that six months window. While Australian will allow you back in right up to the day of expiry, some airlines will refuse to allow you to board a flight if that six months minimum of time is not there. If you travel a lot and you are running out of pages, you may need to apply for another passport. It's not possible to add extra pages.

While we were all checking our passports to be sure they would comply with this rule, my sister discovered that hers expired back in December! A replacement has been ordered and should arrive in 6 weeks. Whew!

Should we buy a Spanish SIM card? Will we need a power adapter for our devices? Perhaps we should include one with a number of USB charging ports. What other travel accessories will we need? And there's access to funds we need to consider. Morocco has a closed currency so how will that work?

So much to research but we've allowed ourselves plenty of time.

To wed or not to wed

My granddaughter phoned me to tell me that she and Joe have decided not to marry after all. My first concern was for them. Was everything okay? She assured me it was all good, but they had decided that they didn't need to formalise their relationship - they are not planning on children in the immediate future (she is still studying and working part-time, and he has just commenced a full-time job with Qantas). Her concern was for us and some others who had booked and paid for their trips.

Wedding or no wedding, I'm still going, I told her. When I asked Ilana and Michelle they said they are still keen to go, so we have kept on with our plans.

Thank you, Alexandra and Joe, for considering a wedding in Spain. Even if it's not to go ahead, we are!

New Trip

Since my last post (was it that long ago!) I've moved house and am living in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

After a year here, I was ready to think about some more long-distance travel. I'm always up for a trip to Italy (I still have to explore the south of that country) but while I was thinking about that, my granddaughter rang me. She and her Spanish boyfriend decided that they would marry - in Spain, where his family live. (He lives and works in Sydney.) They would have a major wedding in Spain, and a later celebration here in Australia.

What a great excuse to plan a trip to Spain! My daughters, Ilana and Michelle, were also keen. They said they were not going all that way just for a few days (they are like their mother in that respect) and so we're extending our stay to see as much of Spain as possible, along with Portugal and Morocco.

Plans are well underway. In the meantime, we're busy, with the help of Google Earth, checking out all the places we want to see while we are in that part of the world.

Revisiting my blog posts

Reading through my posts as I work towards publishing a diary of this trip, I realise that I should point out the best way to read this blog.

For a sequential reading of the journey, the reader needs to work backwards, beginning at the end. If you are looking at just one locality, then the post titles will help there.

Happy reading.

WrapUp

It’s coming up to six months since my sister, Lindy, and I returned from our Grand Tour. I’ve had every intention since then of adding this last post as a sort of wrap up of the entire trip.

If you’ve read the posts on this blog, you will see that a few things went wrong. They weren’t disasters – were quite funny in fact – but some serve to illustrate that when booking online, you can’t always be sure of what you will receive. This applied more to the short stay accommodation – the apartments for our long stays were perfect.

Basically, when you organise a trip yourself, you have to be prepared for little things to go awry. As long as you can laugh about it, as we did (side-splittingly at times), everything will be memorable.

Here’s a summary

Flights
Apart from a long delay in Melbourne, everything went well with our Qantas/British Airways flights. We didn’t miss any connections and managed to rest quite well on the outbound journey. (Lindy was coming down with a bad cold on the return trip, so she didn’t fare so well that time, but that had nothing to do with the airline.) The flight from London to Rome was also excellent.

Hire Car
Our hire car was upgraded to one with a built-in GPS because the company didn’t have a spare hand GPS for our use. Unfortunately, the GPS in the car we were given had outdated maps, which resulted in some hilarious adventures. We didn’t mind because it was fun getting lost in England. We met some lovely people and went to places we might otherwise not have seen – Wales for instance!

Accommodation
Apart from a couple of laughable short stays, our accommodations were perfect. Air BnB delivered as promised, with apartments in Venice, Florence and Rome that were as described and hosts who were accommodating (and absent!). Booking.com, used for short stay bookings, didn’t do so well. We were disappointed in the hotel for our last night in Rome, which was nothing like the room advertised on their site.

Tours and event tickets
We booked a few local tours and tickets, with varying results. Some were not clear about what was included and what wasn’t. In hindsight, we should have asked. One of these was a tour of the Academy of Art, where we paid for a guide, who we never did find! Others were apparent, especially the Food Tour and Cooking School, and our Tuscan Tour and also the tours of Sorrento and Capri.  These were well organised, with experienced and enthusiastic guides. The latter included a two-night stay in a five-star hotel (which we reckoned deserved more stars).

Local Travel in Italy
Although my Italian was up to most of these, I did have some difficulty buying bus tickets from a couple at a little local newsstand in Le Cure, Florence. He understood me quite well, she didn’t. But then, I understood him but not her! Most people in the larger centres speak English, which is a pity as I wanted to practice my Italian.

We had booked our train travel before we left Australia, all that remained was for us to go online and select our seats. Trains in Italy are luxury compared to ours, and they generally left on time. If they didn’t, there were constant updates about times.

Twice we used a taxi and found these quite reasonable and the drivers pleasant and helpful. We were aware that one needs to take care because some of them are not ‘official’. When you phone for a taxi, you are given the driver’s name and number so you can check when it arrives that it is the one you ordered.

Food
We only ate out now and again, preferring to prepare our own meals. When we did eat out, the food was plentiful, delicious and served by pleasant people. We didn’t have one bad experience with food.

Buying food in Italy is easy. You can go to the markets (which market is the big decision - they are everywhere), or else the supermarkets. There was a little Co-op in Le Cure, not far from our apartment. They didn’t speak English there, so that was fun. Of course, you help yourself to items and don’t need to know the language, except when it came to the cash register. There they ask a couple of questions that might throw you, but they are the same questions asked in our supermarkets, like, ‘Do you have a loyalty card?’ It’s also good to know that they don’t supply bags in the supermarkets – you need to take your own.

Review of what we packed
After having to heave a largish suitcase around a few times, Lindy decided that next time she would pack like me, in a small roll-along bag. She took twice as much as I did and although I was thoroughly sick of some of my clothing by the end of the trip, I was glad I had packed light. I ditched a few things just before we came home, to fit in the few souvenirs I had bought. I never buy many, just little things to aid my memory.

All up, we both agree that our trip was memorable. We’d both be willing to do it again and, having learned a few things, would do it better! 

Arrivederci Italia.

Our coach had dropped us at our hotel at 8:30 pm. It wasn't anything flash, especially after our experience in Sorrento. It was really just a place to sleep before we checked out in the morning, and caught the train to the airport.

The hotel room was nothing like the one pictured on their website, with a small room, lumpy beds and a minuscule bathroom, but it did have tea making facilities. We were ecstatic, until we tried the tea. As usual, the water was hard and did the flavour of the tea no good. The wifi was hopeless so we had to go down to the lobby to send our email.

We weren't hungry and it was late. We had to be up early so went to bed.

Next morning, our last in Rome and in Italy, we re-sorted and re-packed our bags. The water was hot for our shower but Rome water is very hard so didn't lather very well. Then we went down for breakfast, which was included in the cost. It was a typical continental breakfast except the coffee and hot water for the tea came from a push-button machine. I had coffee and it was foul - very bitter. Lindy got a tea bag and a cup of hot water. Once she'd taken the tea bag out a scum formed on top of the water.

We checked out but remained in the foyer until 11 am rather than wait at busy Roma Termini. While there, two ladies came in, one younger one older. They were booking in but had to wait until the rooms were ready. We chatted for awhile. It was their first visit to Rome and they asked us questions about our experiences. They were from America, but the older lady (her mother) originally came from Spain I think it was. The trip was a birthday gift. We worked out that we covered 4 decades - the older lady was 80, I was 70, Lindy 60 (soon) and the younger woman was 50.

The trip to the airport was uneventful. Lindy wasn't feeling too well - fighting a cold - and we were both feeling that it was a bit anti-climax, sorry it was over but keen now to get back home to family.

It had been a wonderful trip, one that we will both remember. We had some fun times, and some funny adventures. We' were good keeping our diaries in Trip Rider, and when we return home I will tidy mine up and publish it, to keep with my other journals so when I am old and grey, no longer able to travel and with a failing memory, I will have a record of where I went and what I saw.

Sorrento

The skies were a little clearer when we woke, but rain was threatening. We had a free day, to explore Sorrento or take a train or bus to the Amalfi Coast.

We had a late and long breakfast, enjoying the wonderful views of Naples across the bay from the dining room balcony of the Hotel Ambascatori, before checking out at 11 am. We left our luggage in the hotel luggage room. By this time, the clouds had rolled in again (the weather here is as changeable as Melbourne in Australia!) and we decided not to risk going to Positano but to stay in Sorrento - the weather was not kind enough for views of the coast.

We walked into and through a couple of piazza's, people and traffic watching. The drivers here are a bit better than in Rome or Florence, but the roads are so narrow, they don't have any choice. However, they do stop anywhere, putting their flashers on to indicate that they will be back shortly.

Just as we got to the main Piazza, the rain began in earnest, bucketing down and we, along with many other tourists, huddled under dripping awnings or umbrellas. We thought it might be a good idea to sit in a bar but everyone else had the same idea. We eventually found a spare table and two chairs at reasonable looking one, where we sat for an hour and enjoyed a late morning tea - or an unhealthy lunch!

When the rain had stopped, we wandered back to the hotel to wait for the coach back to Pompeii, where we had to change to another to return to Rome.

The isle of Capri

We woke late, at 7:40. There had been thunderstorms during the night and heavy rain. It was hard to see any of the view of the bay of Naples from our room balcony because of low cloud. We had a lovely breakfast at 8:30 - juice, coffee, fruit and pastry - and were waiting in the lobby when a minibus came to collect us at 10 am. Lindy said I looked like a meerkat, my head popping up now and again to see if the bus had arrived.

We were driven to the wharf at Sorrento, where we met Sasha, our guide for Capri. He said we were waiting for a group of Spaniards so we had some time to take some photos of the area around the wharf.

When we were ready to leave, the group numbered about 40 - mostly Spanish with only about 8 English speaking.  Sasha explained that the blue grotto might be open, or it might not, conditions change from moment to moment. He handed out tickets for the hydrofoil and said to board at the back so we could be first off. 

The trip took about 30 minutes. The water was a bit choppy but the sun did finally appear as the isle of Capri grew larger. Once on the island, we went to the blue grotto wharf, where we were told that the grotto was closed. Sacha took us on a larger boat to see the entrance and to explain why we couldn't go inside. It's such a small entry. If we had been able to go in, we would have been 3 to a rowboat, plus the rower. All 4 passengers would have to duck low down to avoid being brained by the rock. Sacha explained that the water level remains constant in the bay, so it's not tides that prevent entry to the grotto - it's the movement of the water. In order to take the boats and passengers inside safely, the water has to be flat. We were disappointed but I understood that it is impossible to control weather conditions.

As the boat took us back to the jetty, Sasha gave us a potted history of the island. The dialect spoken there was a mix of Greek and Italian. Greek because it was the Greeks who settled there way back in history. The island only has one road so it's not possible to get lost on it. Back at the jetty, our group was divided into two and we each boarded a smaller bus to go up to Anacapri, at the top of the island's mountain. (Ana is from the Greek, and it means above.)

Because we hadn't visited the blue grotto, we had some extra time so stopped half way up to walk around a little piazza. After we'd visited some of the shops there and had taken photos, we continued on our way up to Anacapri. The road was a bit scary in parts - narrow and twisty, with long drops at the side - but the views made up for that. The sun had come out and there were only a few clouds so the day looked much nicer.

In Anacapri we were taken to lunch, at another, small family restaurant.While we ate the rain came down in buckets. When we went for a walk after lunch, the rain had stopped but water was running down the street, and the stairs had become waterfalls. There was nowhere to sit in the dry so we went to a cafe and had a coffee while we waited for 4 pm, when we were to meet Sacha. Coaches took us back down the hill to the wharf where we caught the last hydro back to Sorrento. While standing on the jetty, waiting for the boat along with all the other tourists, the workers who live in Sorrento also arrived. Then the rain came down again. It was torrential and there was only a little sheltered area. We all crowded underneath and tried to avoid the drips, laughing at the sight we all looked - like drowned rats.

We arrived back in Sorrento at 6:15, and said goodbye to Sacha. A small bus took us all to our respective hotels. The rain stopped and the clouds lifted so we had a better view from our balcony.

Dinner was as wonderful as the night before, with a bonus - entertainment. A husband and wife from Sorrento serenaded the diners with typical Italian songs. As we ate and listened to the music, we enjoyed seeing the twinkling lights of Naples on the other side of the bay. 

After dinner, Lindy was keen to try a limoncello, so we went to the bar. She quite enjoyed it but declined to buy a bottle to take home.

A taste of Southern Italy

There were thunderstorms for most of the night, which made for a restless sleep. I woke suddenly when I heard a car door slam outside and flew out of bed, thinking we had overslept and our taxi was waiting for us. When I checked the time, it was only 1:48 am. I'd managed to master the phone system and had booked a taxi the night before. We could have walked to our destination, but we had to be at the tour office by 7 am and the weather was not kind.

We had booked this 3 day, 2 night tour online before we'd left Australia and were hoping that it would be as good as the reviews said it was.

Our taxi did arrive as ordered, at 6:15 am. The taxi company phoned 10 minutes before it arrived to say our car was Londra 29. This is a security measure because apparently there are some rogue cars around ripping tourists off.

The rain pelted down as we left Trastavere and was still pouring when we arrived at the tour office at 6:40. Luckily, they were open so we could wait inside out of the weather. More and more people arrived and the room was soon overcrowded. The bus arrived promptly at 7:15 am and then the rain stopped. We didn't leave immediately because some people were late. By the time they arrived, and we could leave, it was 7:40.

Constantin was our driver, and Marco, the guide. As we set off, it began to rain again and it continued for most of our drive south. Marco gave us a potted history of the places we passed as we went.

We stopped for a break and coffee at 10:15, where I discovered that an American coffee is a long black! We left there at 10:30 and drove through Naples. There our guide for Pompeii joined us. His name was Vittorio. Like Marco, he spoke both English and German. After we'd taken our photos of Naples, Vesuvius, the Sorrento Peninsula and Capri, we set off to Pompeii, which was not more than 15 minutes away.

We stopped in New Pompeii for lunch at a family Osteria. There, we had salad, penne in tomato and cheese sauce, with grapes to follow. Back to the coach and on to the ruins.

It was overcast, but the rain held off for our tour of Pompeii. We saw so much and learned about life in Pompeii before Vesuvius erupted. We spent over 2 hours walking through the ruins. Vittorio also spoke in German and English and led us through the excavated city, showing us simple homes, villas of the rich, the system of roads, temples, shops, water fountains, and of course, the 'remains' of people and animals. 

After some free time in the piazza in front of the ruins, Marco led us back to the coach, where we had to wait for another coach to arrive. Those going on to Sorrento and Capri (that included Lindy and me) were to take this new coach, while some of the people on it, who had completed their tour of the south, were going back to Rome with Marco.

Ornella was our guide into Sorrento. She also had a number of Spanish speakers on board (the Germans went back to Rome) so once again everything was described in 2 languages. She explained that we would be staying in different hotels and that we would receive instructions re where to be when. She said if the weather was bad and we couldn't get to Capri (pronounced Carpree, not Capri as in the capri pants), other arrangements would be made - another excursion. We kept our fingers crossed because we so did want to see Capri.

Sorrento is across the Peninsular from Naples so it didn't take too long to get there. The coach stopped in a small piazza and Ornella called names out. That group went to a car in the small car park, with their luggage. She then called Lindy and me and walked us to the other side of the piazza and 20 feet down the street to our hotel. She left us there, with our instructions - to be in the foyer at 10 am the next morning. In the meantime, she said, enjoy the hotel and have dinner and breakfast in the dining room (all included).

What a stunning hotel the Ambasciatori Grand Hotel is. It's listed as a 4 star hotel, but we disagree - it's definitely a 5 star! We showered and changed (no jeans in this dining room!) caught up with email etc, then because we'd had such a late lunch, went to late (for us) dinner at 8:30 pm in the most luxurious surroundings. And the food! We were able to order whatever we wanted, and as much as we wanted, and the wait staff were wonderful. Heaven.

Trastevere, Rome

The area around our apartment here in Trastavere is vibrant except for the quiet times - generally 3-5 pm and after midnight until 9 am. The little alleys twist and turn upon themselves, and around every corner you will find a little piazza. Everywhere you will find little cafes, bars and restaurants, all spilling over into the cobblestones roads, forcing the vehicular traffic to risk damage to their paintwork as they scrape by the stone buildings on the other side. Cars, scooters and motor bikes just park wherever they can. Eating a fiori (outside) looks as if it could be bit risky too, but we never saw any incidents involving people, cars or tables and chairs.

Vicolo means 'alley' and our apartment was located on Vicolo del Bologna. All the buildings around this area are very old and all divided into apartments, some with the little shops on the ground flour. Vicolo Bologna twisted around, more like a Drive, beginning and ending in Via del Cinque (the fifth alley). At first we found it difficult, working out where we were at any given time, but before too long we were strolling about like locals.

Our apartment was on the first floor, up one long flight of stone stairs. To complicate climbing these stairs, they are deeper than what we are used to, so require you to raise your leg higher to step up. With our bags in that first climb, this was quite an effort, but we made it intact. 

The apartment itself is filled with art works. The owner has travelled the world and brought back many pieces that she has left in the apartment. Her daughter is also an artist and she works with textiles. She was also a costume designer. The apartment itself, like the building, is very old. The bedrooms are just partitioned-off sections (in one bedroom, only a curtain divides it from the hallway). There is a tiny balcony off the living/dining room, but this faces onto a courtyard that is gated. The kitchen too, is very old. The window in there opens onto the same courtyard. The bathroom is tiny but functional, again with a window opening onto the tiny courtyard.

Both bedrooms open onto Vicolo del Bologna. Like all the windows in the apartment, they have shutters to close to keep out any noise. These tend to make the spaces dark and seemingly smaller. 

Here are a few photos. The first is from my bedroom window, taken just as the little restaurant nearby was getting ready for their first customers.

And below are examples of some of the artworks, and the furniture in our apartment.

Below is the walkway beside the Tiber. It's a popular place for runners and joggers, or just for a nice easy stroll.

Below is the road that runs beside the Tiber on the Trastevere side.

The Vatican

We left our apartment in Trastevere early to walk to the Vatican - a half hour stroll - and when we saw the crowds we were so pleased that we'd organised a 'skip the line' tour. It seems much more crowded than when I was last here 8 years ago, in September. My first visit, in 1996, had been in May and that had been very crowded, but I'd expected it to be a little quieter in late October. Not so.

There were less than 20 of us in our group and Patricia, our guide, was knowledgeable - she's an archaeologist by profession and was born in Rome. She spoke very clearly and was obviously passionate about her subject. She guided us through some horrendous crowds, through many of the rooms of the museum, talking about the history of the building and the art as we went. 

We took so many photos it's difficult to choose which to add here, so here are just a couple.

The crowds were a problem and we were reduced to shuffling many times, but we did see a lot as we inched our way through the many rooms of art. There were paintings hanging on the walls, painted on the walls, statues, tapestries, painted ceilings everywhere, and much more. Patricia explained how the colours of the painted walls  had remained so bright over the years. The artists of those times discovered that if they painted on fresh plaster the colours bonded with the plaster in some chemical process that kept the colour over time - forever it seems.

Some of the art dates back to days just a few hundred years after Christ. The popes were a warring lot who fought battles and conquered people, building their wealth. They demanded that artists work to beautify their palaces and churches. Michelangelo was a bit of a rebel and he was known to put the faces of his enemies in his works, in a critical way. Most of his figures were naked, contrary to the cardinal's instruction, and many years after his death they were dressed by other artists.

The Sistine chapel was much different to my last viewing, in 1996. (I hadn't bothered in 2007). At that time it was undergoing some cleaning and only a small portion was available to view, and that part was very dark. This time all was visible and it was bright with colour. Patricia had explained that they had thought the colours were dark but when they cleaned a portion they realised it was just dirt. I remember how silent it was in there in 1996. Not this time, even though the guards  kept calling for silence, people kept talking. We were not allowed to take any photographs in the Sistine Chapel unfortunately.

After our visit to the chapel, we went on to St Peters Basilica. There we saw the Pieta, by Rafael. A barrier kept us further back than the last time I'd seen it, but still behind glass, thanks to a deranged man (said to be Australian but who wasn't born here) who attacked it with a hammer some years ago. 

Patricia explained how they had found what they think are the bones of St Peter, who they knew was buried on the spot where the basilica was built. Those bones are under the crypt, where the popes are buried, which is under the floor. We didn't go down but we saw that level through a grate in the floor.

By this time our heads were feeling like cotton wool and our eyes dazzled. Patricia left us then and we were free to spend as much time in St Peters as we wanted, but we were tired and hungry and decided to go and find some lunch.

We planned on going to see the Pantheon so walked to Piazza Navona, and on the way we found a lovely little Osteria. I had lasagne (fatto a casa - which means home-made) and Lindy a spinach Salad. 

After our little rest, we walked on to the Pantheon, where we saw Rafael's tomb, amongst other things. It's a fascinating place and a marvel of engineering and architecture.

By this time we were very weary so walked back home. We went out later to buy something for dinner but we were still pretty tired, so settled for a gelato. We bought some potato chips for dinner and bananas for breakfast. Not very healthy but at least all the walking we are doing means we haven't put on any weight.

Goodbye Florence, Hello Rome

We woke to thunderstorms. It seemed to have been raining all night. We had a quick breakfast, showered, packed and cleaned up after ourselves and then waited for Antonella.

Camilla had booked a taxi for us, for 9:55am. Our train was not leaving until midday but checkout time is 10 am; we don't mind waiting at the station. We both prefer to be early, rather than late and stressing. Antonella arrived at 9:50 am and the taxi soon after. We filled in some time at the station in the cafe there, where we had coffee and a Danish. We then went out to the concourse to wait. After a little wait we found a seat then took turns going into Feltrini Bros bookstore to look at the books. There was a table of English language books and I found one to take on the flight home.

Our train was on time and our seats (singles at the end of the carriage) allowed us to stretch out and better yet, to keep our bags with us. The Italian fast train is the best way to travel. The seats are comfortable and you don't have to sit scrunched up.

We arrived in Rome at 1:35 and fought through the crowds to the taxi rank, which is at the side of the station, in a one way street, which means the taxis have to go all around the station before they even get anywhere! We were to go to Lazio, Trastavere, which is on the other side of the Tiber, the same side as the Vatican. 

The journey, through Rome's winding and sometimes one-way streets, took about 20 minutes. The driver dropped us at Vicolo Bologna, which translates as Bologna Alley. The driver was unsure of the numbers so we got out at the church and I left Lindy with the bags while I walked around to work it out. The 'Alley' turned back on itself and number 20 was at the other end, of course! I went back and collected Lindy and the bags and then we had to figure out which bell to press. None of the names on the list were even remotely like the name of the apartment host.

Fabia luckily stuck her head out then, and came down to let us in. (I discovered later that the apartment is owned by her mother.) She spent about 15 minutes explaining everything to us, before leaving. We spent the next hour or so sorting out bedrooms, reading through the tourist information she had left in the apartment, and studying maps. While we did that, we had a cup of tea, which we didn't actually drink. It was foul. (We later discovered that the bottom of the kettle was full of scale build up, but the water is actually very hard. It was difficult to get soap to lather and my hair never felt clean.)

The stairs are a problem. They are steep, and the steps a bit deeper than we are used to, but the lovely apartment, filled with art works, makes up for that.

At 4:15 we thought we should go out and buy some supplies for breakfast. We rugged up because we were both feeling a bit cold, then staggered our way down the cobblestones. This place is a rabbit warren of little streets (alleys) lined with little shops, from tattoo artists to opticians and all thing in-between. Every second place was about food, from small bars to restaurants. We decided on the one we'd come back to for dinner, and then continued looking for an Alimentari. Had almost given up when we found one, where we bought yoghurt, milk, biscuits, and chocolate. We also bought some large bottles of water for our tea and coffee.

On the way to find food supplies, we passed through about three Piazza's, thronged with people. In one, someone at a table in a restaurant was being serenaded, and in another a man was performing with string and soapy water, producing lots of bubbles. There were armed guards in another, standing in front of a building, and plenty of police presence. Every Piazza seemed to have an old church standing guard.

Back at the apartment, we finally had a nice cup of tea!

Later, we went out to the little restaurant we had seen earlier, for dinner. We sat in the back garden, which was decorated with sunflowers and pretty yellow tablecloths. Our waiter spoke English and of course wanted to practise using it. He was a bit of a character. I ordered a bottle of wine and he gave me a taste for approval. Lindy didn't want wine, only water, and he offered her a taste of that too!

We made a simple meal - pasta with meat sauce for me, risotto for Lindy - and had an early night. 

Because Trastevere is a nightlife area, it was a bit noisy, but I managed to sleep. At least they keep reasonable hours, with everyone expected to close by midnight.

The Odeon Cinema in Florence, Italy

Because it was our last full day in Florence, we decided to see a movie. There is a Cinema in Florence that we'd read about, where original language movies are shown and Woman in Gold was on at 4:30.

With time to spare, we decided to re-visit the Mercato Centrale for a more leisurely visit than our last. We wandered up and down each of the outside aisles, which angle out from a central point, and we even purchased a few things - souvenirs for us and for the family. 

Afterwards, we headed inside and upstairs to the food court. It was 2 pm and the place was packed. We finally found a couple of seats at a table, rather than perching on a stool at a high counter which is what is most prevalent in Italian eating places. I left Lindy there while I went to find us something to eat. I joined one of the long lines and a half hour later I had a plate of 'fried mix', which were bite-sized pieces of chicken, rabbit and mixed vegetables. This was served with a small container of sauce.

We still had some time to fill before the cinema opened so Lindy headed off to buy our dessert. She came back with tiramisu. We both agreed that it wasn't as nice as the one we'd made.

After a stop at the ladies (not quick, had to join another line) we went on our way. As usual, we had some fun finding our way but we ended up outside the Odeon at 3:45. A sign said that it would open for tickets at 4:15 and the movie would begin at 4:30 so we went for (another) walk! We couldn't find a little cafe/bar that had proper seats so settled for one with stools. Quite an effort to climb onto them! I had a cafe latte and  Lindy wanted hot chocolate with milk but instead, she got a cup of melted chocolate! They make it with hot water but it's so thick! 

We then sat in the Piazza della Republica for 15 minutes, watching the merry-go-round. It was decorated much as the churches are here, with cherubs, religious pictures, scenes of Florence like the Ponte Vecchio - even the ceiling was painted. And there were pots of flowers around the edge, among the horses and carriages.

At a little after 4 pm, we walked back to the Odeon, calling into the Apple Store on the way, just out of curiosity. We were at the door of the theatre at 4:12, along with a number of other people, and of course the doors didn't open at 4:15. They were on Italian time and finally opened at 4:20. Tickets in hand we had just a few seconds to admire the decor before going in to take our seats. 

The seats are large and comfy, just like a lounge chair at home, and with heaps of leg room. The ceiling is domed and there are lavish fixtures and fittings. 

There were no advertisements and the movie began on time. Strangely, there was a quick intermission, with the movie just stopping in the middle of a scene and commencing again at the same place! It was a good movie; Helen Mirren playing a strong role, as usual.

There weren't many people attending, much like a cinema at home in the middle of the week. It was a nice, relaxed ending to our stay in Florence.

Il Pranzo

After our big day out on our Tuscan Cooking experience, we had decided on a quiet day at home but thought it time to try the Osteria Le Riffaioli for il pranzo (lunch). The Osteria was recommended by Antonella, our apartment host.

What is an Osteria? In Italy, a restaurant is the most upmarket place you can eat, and they are expensive. A Trattoria is a bit below the restaurant in cost, and the Osteria comes last. This has nothing to do with food quality, it's more to do with location, surroundings,  food presentation and cost. An Osteria is like going to someone's home for lunch. The food is simple and plentiful and the wine - a rough house wine - is served in a small water glass.

Apart from special occasions, most Osterias, including the one in Le Cure, are only open for lunch. Le Riffioli is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday i the fish day, and that is what we had - fish stew that had mussels, prawns, squid, vegetables, rice, and crusty bread that did not go soggy, in it. We were asked if we wanted seconds (included in the cost) but declined - we were full. Water and a glass of white wine came with the meal. Dolce was served in a small glass, chopped pineapple in this case, with a small spoon. 

It was a delicious lunch, simple and filling.

Tuscan Cooking Class

As our bus drove us up into the hills, Julian talked about what we could expect from the rest of the day. His talk was punctuated with comments about Italian drivers. At one spot we couldn't get around a corner because someone had double parked. But their flashers were on, so that was okay, he said, we just had to wait for the woman driver to finish her shopping or banking, before we could pass.

The views of Florence from the bus as we rose up the hill were stupendous, even though the day was overcast and dull. Julian explained that the bus would leave us in a piazza and we would have to walk down the private roadway, which was too narrow for the bus to turn around. It didn't matter, even though the walk was up and down steep inclines - the views were worth it. And the venue, when we had finally descended some steps, was just wonderful.

Julian had told us that this place - the Walkabout home he called it - used to be the private home of Carmella, the chef who was going to teach us the Italian way to cook. She sold that portion of it to walkabout. Carmella worked 6 days a week demonstrating cooking. We would also see a demonstration of pizza making from Carmella, and also from a pair of professional pizza chefs. 

We left our bags and coats in a closet, washed our hands, donned aprons, and then class began. Because the ragu sauce would take the longest, we had to get that underway. Once that was done and simmering on the stove, we moved to making bruschetta (broo-sketta - we practised the pronunciation) while Julian and Gloria filled our wine glasses with Chianti. We were all starving by this time and wolfed our bruschetta down.

Next up was a demonstration of making pasta, then we were given flour and egg and set about making our own. The pasta that resulted (that's my effore, below) was all combined to cook later, to go with the beef ragu.

Then it was time for pizza making. We watched Carmella make a pizza dough, which is prepared hours ahead of time to allow the yeast to work. Then a couple of professional pizza makers, using dough they'd prepared earlier, showed us how to form the pizza base. Working in pairs, we made our own bases and added the toppings. The pizza oven outside had been lit earlier and was heating up nicely. We were quite proud of ours (below). When our pizzas were ready, they were cooked and eaten, washed down with either wine or beer. Delicious. 

After that little break, it was time to put the roast pork together. Unpeeled cloves of garlic were pushed in between the loin and the bone. Sage, rosemary, salt and pepper was rubbed into the meat and olive oil (the King) was poured into the pan, not over the meat. The potatoes got the same mix stirred into their pan (the potatoes had been cut into cubes) but this time the potatoes were covered with the oil.

Then it was time for sweets. First the gelato. We watched the process, and helped in stages, then tasted the unfrozen result. One that Carmella had prepared the precious day and frozen was then shown to us - the finished product that we would eat later. (That's Lindy, below, me over her shoulder, and Julian sticking his face in. Lindy is wielding a luna mezza (half moon knife).

Next was the tiramisu. The only difference to the tiramisu that I've made at home was that this was made up into individual portions. We each made a pattern with powdered chocolate on top of our individual tiramisu so that we would recognise it later, then it was put into the fridge to keep cold and to firm up the cream. Mine is pictured below - a little heavy on the chocolate of course.

Then it was time to eat. 

We took our places and the feast began. First we had the pasta with ragu sauce, over the top of which we grated the fresh Parmesan we had bought at the markets. This was followed by the pork (sliced very thinly, using a deli slicer) and potatoes. There was a good supply of Chianti on the tables too. Finally, we had the tiramisu, followed by the gelato.

During dinner, we chatted to our neighbours, Paul and Mary, from USA. They were curious about our gun laws. They have guns all over their house and have strong views on the right to bear arms. In his words, 'if the bad guys know everyone has guns, they'll think twice about using their guns on you.' We couldn't agree and they couldn't understand how we could feel safe in our homes, knowing that the bad guys have guns in Australia too!

Our day was almost done. There were thanks all round, then certificates and books were handed out. The aprons we'd worn were ours to keep. 

We took a final look around, collected our bags, and made our way up the stairs and the private road to the bus.

Back in Florence, it was now dark and Lindy and I had some trouble finding our way to the station for our bus. The major problem was that we'd been dropped further back from the Ponte Vecchio so we had much further to walk. We finally found our way and walked straight onto a bus. Arrived home around 7:45 and were not long out of bed after a full and busy day.

We both agreed later that this tour was the highlight of our trip. Julian was a delight and he made sure we all felt included. He was informative and I loved hearing the history associated with the city of Florence and the food. I can thoroughly recommend walkabout to anyone visiting Florence. Many of those we chatted with during the day had been on other tours this company offers and we didn't hear one bad word. Lindy and I had also done another tour with this group (a one day Tuscan tour, seeing Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa, with lunch in the country) and that too was a great day. Here's a link to the walkabout website if you want to learn more about their tours - https://www.walkaboutflorence.com