All roads lead to Rome

We left Vernazza on the Saturday morning after The Wedding in a light drizzle of rain. Leaving our little villas to catch the Vernazza train to La Spezia where we changed trains to Rome was a little challenging, but we are starting to master moving around with luggage...sort of...

The train trip to Rome was about 4 hours with some wonderful countryside to be seen. At one point we were following the sea and saw a port - unsure where - where huge cruising ships were docked. Unsure it was a docking area or a shipbuilding area, but there were more than 20, something to be seen.

We arrived in Rome around 2ish, and pretty much walked off the station, crossed the street and saw the sign for our hotel! We are staying at the Una Hotel, which we all thought was serendipitous when we booked it as it is the name of Dad's mother, our grandmother.

The Una Hotel is rather spiffy, with a Deco feel to it.

After a settling in we hit the streets of Rome and let the cliches fly. 'When in Rome' seemed to fit everything. Every street has some kind of wonderful on it, so much to see it almost becomes overwhelming. The traffic is crazy to watch, cannot fathom where they are meant to be, no lines marked, everyone going in different directions, fast and yet like clockwork. No bogan mobiles, just small cars, motorcycles and scooters. There are lots of those electric two person cars which you find parked in the craziest spots.

So we spent a few hours exploring our neighbourhood, nearby we found our first archeological dig site...later we will find more and more as we explore. There was
an old building that looked like a church and in it an exhibition of modern sculpture from the 30s, amazing stuff, but the building itself even more so with a glass section over a dig site and an amazing dome. This is one of the things I like most about Italy, is how they meld history and progress, it appears seamless.

Had to have gelato...when in Rome...from a cute little arcade. We covered a large radius from the hotel in about 2 hours and saw lots of ornate buildings, fountains, statues etc. None of these were any of the run of the mill sites you see in travel books, but well worth a look. Close to the hotel, the Opera was about to begin and people were mingling and waiting outside.

It was a hot night and we were all exhausted, so dinner was in the hotel restaurant. I had lamb chops and creamy potato...really yum, followed by peach and strawberry semi-fredo...even more yum.

DAY 2 IN ROME

We had picked a route that took us to the Spanish Steps and then angled down to The Pantheon, beyond to the River Tiber and across to The Botanical Gardens...the plan was to follow for as long as we could stand and finish the rest the following day.

We left our hotel round 10am, and made our way to The Spanish Steps. It was bloody hot! The things we saw along the way made it worthwhile. So many amazing buildings,
statues, fountains...by god, The Romans and Italians really know how to build...this is not new to me of course, but seeing it all first hand...I was in awe and in love with this city!

On a small intersection were 4 reliefs with fountains in each corner, this was Quattro Fontane. Then further ahead some sort of palace with amazing column fence line with statues carved into the columns. The route we took was following a street right across the city and ended at the top of The Spanish Steps...I didn't realize this in the planning, but what a coup! I seriously doubt we would have walked up the
steps had we arrived downstairs...too crowded, hot etc. So we explored above...amazing views over Rome.

As you walk away from the very top there is amazing gardens that start at Villa D'Este and move towards Villa Borghese. In between there are ponds, statues, fountains,  courtyards, playgrounds,  cafes etc. It reminded me of a smaller version of Central Park, but more laid back. The weather was very Melbourne like: warm, sunshine, cloudy, drizzly, then sunny again!

We made our way back to The Spanish Steps and did the touristy thing. The Keats/Shelley house had closed for lunch so we moved on to The Trevi Fountain. This was my number 1 thing to see in Rome (after The Colosseum and The Pantheon which are a given). A huge Fellini fan, I love the scene in La Dolce Vita with Anita Eckberg in the fountain...sexy and alluring, but what a magnificent fountain! You could hear it before you saw it, firstly people, but mostly the water.It was beyond my wildest dreams, so much larger and ornate than you imagine. The crowd was thick, but we maneuvered through to the edges where there wasn't many people, threw our coins in the fountain and took some photos. I'll admit to getting a bit emotional here...not the first time, and not the last I am sure!

 We found a small cafe out of the rain, it was drizzling lightly, and had lunch. I had The Greek Salad, nice and light. Then we zig zagged towards The Pantheon, the closer you got, the smaller the streets, the older the buildings, and an other worldly ominous feeling overcome me. I adored this area, every building was something amazing even if it wasn't of significant importance. Then we hit the piazza of The Pantheon.

WOW, it stunned me more than anything else I saw in Rome and inside was even more remarkable. To think it has been standing there all those years and what a piece of impressive architecture it is now, I cannot begin to think how it appeared when it was first built. I was in awe, the Dome was beautiful, the columns majestic.  I'm not religious so a lot of symbolism inside was lost on me, but not it's importance and beauty. If it had not been raining, I could have sat in the piazza all day, drooling at it's perfection.

We moved on through to Piazza Navona, one of the largest Piazzas in Rome. The rain started again as we arrived, so we headed to one of the many cafes stretching around
the outside for cool drinks and coffee. I am assured by everyone the coffee is pretty special. I don't drink coffee, but it sure smells strong. The others have soon learnt to ask for Coffee Americana, otherwise they were getting espressos. Italians do not drink Cappuccinos or Cafe Latte after mid morning. All of these little things make the culture so interesting.

The rain eased a little for a walk around the piazza, but we decided to head home, it was getting late and we were exhausted, as we headed home the rain got heavier and heavier, we came across some interesting buildings, but we were all out of buzz. We made it back to the hotel and it was around 6pm, whilst we had umbrellas, we were hot, sticky and wet, tired and little testy. Everyone went to their various corners for a rest and met for a quick meal, then bed.

DAY 3 IN ROME

We started a little later today and headed towards the edge of The Colosseum, we had caught a glimpse of it earlier and it doesn't fail to impress, but more on it later.  We wandered around The Roman Forum, the ruins are impressive and photos do them no justice. Nearby are more impressive buildings than you could ever imagine. The most
impressive is the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument which has been the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier since 1921.  White, palatial, statues, columns, stairs, fountains, chariots on the roof...it's got it all!

 

 After spending ages taking this area in, we cut down to The Tiber, crossing over through the Isola Tiberina...a small island on The Tiber.  We followed the river towards the garden areas of Rome. We visited a small private garden and then The Rome Botanical Gardens. These were lovely and a welcome change of pace from the busy city. We then made our way home, over the river and back through the Roman Forum.

This gave us a few hours to rest and get ready to join our tour. We met in the lobby at 5.30 and bused it to a restaurant in the middle of Rome for a light supper. The
restaurant was in an old cavelike cellar. The light supper was huge amounts of Anti Pasto, Pizza and dessert plus unlimited wine!! We got to know some of our fellow
tourers too. Mostly American, some Canadian and New Zealanders. Also mostly older, but some our age, and some families too.

After eating and drinking way too much, we had a lovely night tour of Rome. It was great to see all the sights from the ease of sitting in the bus. By night Rome was even more beautiful.

 

VERNAZZA - THE WEDDING

Friday was the reason for the trip, the wedding day of my cousin Demelza to Daniel.

I spent the morning having a quiet wander around the village of Vernazza. We had been here a few days but I had not explored during the day, nor looked at the little shops and cafes there. It is very quiet early in the morning and settles late in the afternoon. Tourists arrive by train pretty much on the hour, it gets very hectic. The shops are a range of souvenirs, water sports, fishing and boutiques. Plenty of cafes, restaurants, and little shop front delis, fish markets etc. Most of these face the water. This area is fairly flat, but some of the shops and cafes start to move into the hill with accommodation and housing.

Scenes from Vernazza including cheese van in the street

As ushers, Amanda and I needed to be at the Town Hall first. The Town Hall was an old church and on top of the hill. The route is up through the village and about 140 steps, not very step, but old stone stairs, not great for my knee. Dad found an alternate route, no stairs and a little bit steep, but much easier on knees.

Dressed in our finery and flatties, we made our way up. I might add that all the walking and stairs must be working, because despite all I have eaten so far, my dress was a little loose on me. The overcast weather had finally disappeared and sun was shining, which was wonderful, but bloody hot. Demi, ever the planner, had thought ahead and bought heaps of lovely fans for us to give to everyone. We fanned ourselves cool in this beautiful old building with the most magnificent views - you can see why they wanted to get married there. We changed into high heels and the guests started to arrive. Including the wedding party there was about 30 of us.

Everyone looked great, we took our seats and the Mayor of Vernazza took to the grand piano and played The Wedding March. The wedding party entered the church with the sun shining in behind them, quite amazing...though my photos do it no justice. The bridesmaids, Amanda and Tamara, looked great, little Chloe, the flower girl was very cute with her basket of rose petals...she hesitated to walk down the aisle...she realised the flowers would go and she wanted to keep them! Demelza looked stunning and the ceremony went without hitch. It was performed by The Mayor in Italian with a translator, then Demi and Dan had written their own vows. It was fairly quick, very official - the Italian part - but really cute and incredibly romantic.

We all went outside, took photos and made our way back down the stairs to the village square. The village was excited about The Wedding, they had all come out to watch them leave earlier. Italian tradition is for the Bride to throw lollies from a window, so Demi made her window appearance from one of the apartments, Evita style, and threw lollies to us all and waved to her adoring crowd. The village kids came with bags to catch their stash.

Next stop was The Belforte Rooftop for canapés and music by a fabulous Jazz trio. Quite a climb up including open steel stairs over the ocean...sort of, I cannot believe I got up there...between my dodgy knee and fear of heights, I was rather proud of myself. Plus the views were amazing and I was busting for a champagne!!!

We had all ditched our heels, so all that hunting for the perfect shoe to match my dress and I wore them for roughly an hour, lol!!!

There was dancing, mingling, drinking and eating at the bar...Dad said it felt like something from a Bond movie...it certainly was. Demi's Dad, Neale, gave a wonderful Father of the Bride speech and soon after we made our way back down the stairs and to the restaurant for dinner.

The restaurant, Gambero Rosso, was closed for the evening so as to focus on us, which was rather impressive. Before entering Demi and Dan cut the 'cake' which was the most spectacular looking profiteroles and cream concoction. We then entered the restaurant which was in a cave! It was decorated beautifully, with little whimsical touches. Each table had a seaside theme with sand and shells and hand painted ceramic boats from Vernazza with our names on place tags which were Italian playing cards. There were fresh flowers in colored vases and lots of candles in glass vases of various sizes. Also a jar of 'disguises' to enhance photos...lots of mustaches, bows, glasses, hats, lips, cigars etc on sticks similar to masks...made for a lot of fun as the evening progressed.

The Bride and Groom entered to an instrumental version of Friday I'm In Love, which was quirkily perfect. Both Daniel and his brother, Paul, as Best Man, gave heartfelt and funny speeches. There was a standing ovation for my fabulously talented sister, Amanda, as she had made not only Demi's dress, but the Bridesmaids and Mother of The Bride. Everyone in awe of such magnificence. There was music and more dancing, everyone mingled, chatted and enjoyed what I think was one of the best weddings I have been to.

Oh yeah...and then there was the food!!

The first 3 courses came out together, small tastes of Cod Mousse, Squid Gratin, and Tuna Fish with Glazed Tropea Onions. Then Spaghetti with Clams, followed by Gambero Rosso style Paccheri with tomatoes and Red Mullet.

Next up a glass of Lemon Gelato to cleanse our palate before the main meal of Oven Baked local caught fish with vegetables. Ending finally with some of that wedding cake...Profiteroles with Vanilla dipped in White Chocolate...Oh! My! Best Dessert I have ever had!

Everyone had a ball and it was very hard to leave and go to bed knowing we would all be going our separate ways...we had all become good friends and a close unit traveling together in such a large group.

We cannot thank Demi and Dan was letting us experience this amazing week with them.

MILAN TO VERNAZZA

Good morning from Vernazza!!
It's Friday here and the day of my cousin's wedding, so rather exciting.

So, we left Milan on Tuesday, all 19 of us on a bus (regular greyhound style), setting off for Vernazza via Parma and Tuscany.

Arriving at the castle by bus

Lunch was at Antica Corte Pallavincina, a small castle built in 1320. Here is where they 'make' Culatello Ham. We had a tour through the magnificent building, very old with amazing frescoes on the ceilings and then down into the cellar where we saw thousands of Hams hanging in the natural air. Peple come from all over to hang a Ham and there is a waiting list. Prince Charles and Monaco royalty have Hams hanging. Apparantly MasterChef did something here and they have one hanging. The smell was overwhelming, not bad, but not that good either!

 Piles of pumpkins in the courtyard

 

 Mum sitting regally in the old chair in the castle with Neale behind her

 

Chandelier and frescoes in the castle

 

Hams hanging in the cellar

From there we continued to another room which is used as a wine cellar and watched a short film on how they get the Ham and other cold cuts ready and then moved to the cheese room where huge rounds of Parmesan are sitting. And in that room a feast of cold meats and parmesan with sweet red wine awaited...unlike anything I have ever tasted.

 Fabulous spread for lunch

 

Parmesan wheels

 

After a wander around the farm yard we headed on our way to Cinque Terre through a small part of Tuscany - the scenary was stunning...I am going to need a theasaurus for new superlatives by the end of the trip.

 Amanda, Dad, Mum and me at the castle

 

The Castle

 

We arrived at the top of the hill at Monetrosso and left our brave bus driver (the hills and roads were windy, sharp and tight). We were taken to the seaside village of Monetrosso by mini vans, a few trips! Then we had gelato by the sea while we waited for the train into Vernazza.

Beach at Monetrosso

 



Then the 'fun' hit, up flights up stairs to the station (no idea how disabled people get around here!), getting onto the train with luggage was stressful, the train have high stairs up into them, then off the train, then down more stairs where I realised or thought I had brokedn the handle on my suitcase. I took a deep breathe and thought this is ok, deal with it when you get to your room.

However, our room was at the top of the steepest, deepest flight of stairs, I kinda freaked out, but with some help got up to my room, where I had a bit of a meltdown, between aching shoulder, broken suitcase and a freaking ugly heat rash on my legs (and hormones!) I could have gone home right there!!!

Once I settled - I did say I do not travel well - I made my way into the town and met everyone for drinks and started to feel myself again! The bar on the water does fabulous strawberry Margaritas, and then we had a great seafood dinner. Then we crashed and had a good nights sleep.

The next day we hit the Pirate Cafe at the top of the hill for breakfast - what an experience! Owned by twin Sicilian brothers, hilarious jokers and all home cooked pastries etc. I had hot chocolate - it was more like a hot chocolate sauce
- with a riccotta croissant, soft and again unlike any I have tasted. Never really been one to carry on about food, I am sorry I think I will be annoying the hell out of you all withmy food descriptions. At least all this walking and stairs is balancing everything out.

Pirate Cafe

 

We spent the day exploring some of the other towns on the Cinque Terre by train. We first visited Riomaggiore, where we wandered up and down, had a beer by the water and an easy lunch at the cafe. Then we headed to Manarola and explored their shops, streets and water front. Each town is similar but slightly different in terms of scenery. The people live on the hills and must be incredibly fit to move around. Lovely place to visit but I couldn't live here. Also very busy and very muggy. Weather has been overcast, but hot, hot, hot!!

Riomaggiore



Both photos from Manarola

 

That night we went to the pirate cafe for dinner, amazing 3 course meal with wine for only 25 Euro. I must say things are very reasonable here. I had a prawn cocktail - very different prawns, but delicious, then the spinach and ricotta canneloni, their pasta is very different to ours too, much lighter and easier to digest I think. Then we had a share of desserts for the table selected by the brothers for us  - hot chocolate sauce with vanilla gelato, pana cotta with fresh fruit and chocolate cannollis - Oh. My. God.

Drinks before dinner at Vernazza



Dessert

 

Yesterday we went to Pisa, we took 2 trains to get there and are starting to become a bit better getting around on the trainsport. I appear to be one fo the few people who have mastered the ticket machine, rather odd for me, but nice to get something right, lol!

We walked through Pisa to get to the leaning Tower area. About 30 minute walk, lovely town, lots to look at from old buildings, street performers, cafes, shops with great bargains etc. We almost forgot why we were there!

Town of Pisa

But then we turned down a street and got our first glimpse of the Tower, it was unbelievable to see something you have seen so long in books etc for real. It actually looked like someone had painted it at the end of the street. The closer you got the more remarkable the structure was. It really does lean and is REALLY hard to get a good photo of. If you look up, it looks like it will fall over onto you. There are other structures around, church etc, all beautiful as you can see. And heaps of vendors selling everything you can think of.

First glimpse

It really leans!

You have to do the touristy thing!



All the buildings together



By the time we caught the trains back we were exhausted, had pizza slices for afternoon tea...as you do...and a rest.

We headed into Manarola for dinner to celebrate Sue's 60th at Tarttoria  Locardo Il Portocciolo. They overfed us with 3 types of pasta for firsts - small squiggly pasta with basil pesto sauce, then spaghetti with little mussels, then linguini with mushrooms and prawns. We ordered seafood - Calamari - for seconds or mains. Then took the train back to crash - huge day!!

Calamari and linguini with huge prawn

 

Today is the wedding, so I will post more from Rome about that, we leave for Rome at 9am tomorrow. We are all very excited about the wedding today. Amanda and I are ushers, so we need to get up to the church first, hopefully I make it up there :)