Italy (Tuscany - Sercio Valley)

 

After many years of touring Australia we eventually “bit the bullet” and venturing overseas for the first time in nearly 40 years following an invitation by friends to accompany them to Italy.   Our destination in Italy is the village of Castelnouvo located in the Serchio Valley approximately 50 kilometres north of the provincial city of Lucca in the Tuscany region.   From there we’ll do our exploring mainly utilizing the rail network.

Leaving home Sunday morning it was down to Brisbane catching an afternoon flight to Melbourne meeting up with friends Terry and Claire before all boarding the flight to Pisa via Doha.   Flying time for the journey from Brisbane to Pisa was nearly 22 hour however as we’d opted to fly business class the level of service made the journey very comfortable.

 

 

While the duration of the Melbourne to Doha portion of the journey was nearly 14 hours the majority was at night hence after being served dinner somewhere between Adelaide and Perth, watching a movie, our beds were made up and the next thing we knew we were about 4 hours from Doha.   3 hours later we boarded another flight for the 6 hour leg to Pisa.

Arriving at Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport we were surprised at the lack of formality upon entering Italy.   Other than having our passports stamped there was no baggage inspection nor entry declarations required.   After collecting the hire vehicle it was off to our destination via heavens knows how many motorways.   Exiting the motorway at Lucca and navigating through the ancient city (thank heavens I wasn’t driving) we joined an arterial road and commenced the climb up to Castelnouvo winding our way through the Serchio Valley eventually arriving in Castelnouvo mid-afternoon.

After settling into our accommodation Terry and I strolled into town, had a refreshing drink at a local cafe, purchased some tortellini and gnocchi to get us through the night from a nearby Alimentari (delicatessen), returned to the apartment, had a couple of glasses of wine accompanied with local cheeses and other delicacies, then “crashed and burned” eventually awaking 8 a.m. the following morning.

The village of Castelnouvo can trace its origins back to the Roman era hence the cobblestone streets are VERY narrow however it doesn’t seem to worry Italians drivers or pedestrians who all seem oblivious to each other; Mita and my reaction when we ventured into the village for the first time by ourselves was “OMG we’re going to be killed”.   Driving in Italy is very reminiscent to that seen on various television shows – rip, snort and bust.   Initially we thought maybe it’s just in this town but no, it’s pretty well everywhere in Italy including major cities.   Added to that, Mita and I were “gobsmacked” that it was quite common for motorist’s to stop in the middle of the road or an intersection within the village to have a conversation with a pedestrian totally oblivious to the resulting traffic jam; no one seems to get upset by it all.

 

Following breakfast Tuesday morning at Café Ariosto in Piazza Umberto (Castelnuovo’s main piazza) we set off to a CONAD supermarket (very similar to ALDI) for our first shopping excursion which was quite an interesting exercise.   While 80% of the product was recognizable the real issue for us was the language barrier plus noticeable differences catering for the variation in Australian versus Italian diet however by the end of the day we’d managed to achieve what we’d set out to do.   That out of the way it was time to purchase wine to have with our evening meals.

Accompanying Terry we paid a visit to La Bottega del Fattori, the local Trattoria (a wine bare that’s serves meals with alcohol) where not only can you purchase wine by the bottle but also in 5, 34 or 52 litre refillable containers replenished directly from wooden kegs.   We were assured the wine was as good as if not better than most “quaffing” wines available in Australia and following a cursory sip Mita and I agreed.   Following a chat with the owner, a glass of wine (obviously) and a tour of the establishment including the bulk storage area where at least 30,000 litres of wine is stored it was back to our apartment.

            And the price – about €2 per litre.

Wednesday came and we announced that we were off to explore the town plus Leigh would be cooking dinner that night however as we still needed to acquire some herbs and spices we’d been unable to locate the previous day we incorporated a shopping experience by ourselves.   What we didn’t realize was as Italy is culturally very Mediterranean most businesses close between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. AND being a Wednesday quite a few businesses remain closed for the afternoon.   Fortunately for us they were having the grand opening of a newly refurbished mini market in the town’s central piazza attended by local dignitaries.

With that we entered the establishment in search of our needs, Mita striking it lucky with 1 item however Leigh cheated by utilizing “Dr Google”, getting an Italian interpretations of the items required and then zeroing in on a stunning woman who by chance also spoke English resulting in a personal shopping experience for him  – typical.

Thursday morning is market day in Castelnouvo; this is a weekly event in which the town’s various piazzas are closed to all traffic.   The stall holders are professionals who follow a weekly circuit plying their goods in the various towns.   It’s quite an interesting exercise watching the various stall holders setting up their displays as the vehicles are automated; the transformation is quite incredible from a standard vehicle to a full on display.

Needless to say we “did the rounds” of the market with stalls selling household goods, hardware, foods (including seafood, poultry, vegetables and fruits), quality handmade jewellery and clothing, and off course all the other usual goods that you would expect to find at a market.

 

Friday morning after once again visited Café Ariosto for an early morning coffee while utilizing their WIFI, it was up to the Fortezza di Monte Alfonso (fortress) that overlooks the town and provides magnificent views of the surrounding region.   Built in the 16th century the fortress was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1920, restored and then bombed in 1944-45 while occupied by German forces towards the end of the Second World War; it has since been repaired.

 

Saturday was our first outing on the Italian railway system (albeit under supervision) travelling from Castelnouvo to the ancient walled city of Lucca; the rail system and trains in Italy makes Australia look decidedly third world.  Most trains we travelled on during our stay in Italy have GPS maps displaying the current location of the train, route information, current speed, next station and arrival time.   For most part Italian trains were modern, clean, and all but devoid of graffiti.

Lucca was occupied by Rome in 180 BC hence is quite an historic city.   Entering the city from the southern side through the 8 kilometre defensive ramparts built in 15^th century that encircle the old city we were greeted by wide tree lined avenues, gardens and open spaces however that soon changed once we made our way into the old city then is was a case of very narrow streets and alleys with residences above with shops on the ground level.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving at the Basilica di Saint Frediano we spent time admiring the mosaic artwork on the church before entering the central piazza built on the ruins of the original Roman Forum.   After a brief viewing we transited and went in search of an eatery.

 

 

Next stop was the Piazza San Michele with its mime artists and beautiful church

However the highlight of our visit to Lucca was definitely Saint Martin’s Cathedral with construction by Bishop Frediano commencing in the 6^th century.   In the 8^th century under Bishop John 1 further construction took place and again in the 11^th century under Bishop Anselmo da Baggo (later Pope Alexander 2).   In the 14^th and 15^th it was transformed into what it is today.

 

Monday we visited Pisa with the Leaning Tower being the main attraction.   Catching the 07:50 train from Castelnouvo, 1 ½ hours later we arrived at Pisa’s San Rossore station, the closest station to Piazza del Miracoli (Cathederal Square – Square of Miracles) where the tower is located with other buildings of significance.   Construction of the complex commenced in 1064 while the 56 metre tower was built between 12^th and 14^th century.

 

After viewing the various buildings but opting not to climb the tower (probably because we had visions of it toppling over while we were at the top) and with tour groups from various parts of the world starting to pour into the complex we exited onto Via Santa Maria, found a quiet cafe with an English-speaking waiter (always a bonus) and settled in for a bite to eat plus coffee.   From there we continued towards the heart of Pisa eventually reaching the Arno River, crossed that and then arrived in the heart of Pisa.
 

 

By this stage we were famished and thirsty opting for lunch in a classy cafe located in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.   We eventually caught a train back to Castelnouvo from Pisa’s Centrale Stazione.

Tuesday Terry and I left the girls to their own devices and headed off for a game of golf at the world famous (well not really) Garfagnana Golf Club.   While the course consists of only 6 holes with the longest hole being a mere 150 metres, the challenge is that the entire course is built on the side of hill with a significant slope.   For example the 1st hole was 140 metres, I landed on the edge of the green where under normal circumstances the ball would have rolled onto the putting surface but instead ended up 10 metres downhill with a corresponding drop in height.   And that was the norm for the entire course.

However I won’t discuss my performance for the rest of the game.

 

Wednesday Mita and I decided to have breakfast at Café Ariosto and then test the water by locating a travel agent to book a trip to La Spezia so we could tour Cinque Terra (the Five Lands).   Albeit having the assistance of an English speaking interpreter it turned out be too difficult a task for the agent (if the truth is known he wasn’t interested in dealing with foreigners).   With that we located a second agency who couldn’t have been more helpful achieving all we required plus more.   With that, we decided all future excursions would be booked through them.

Travel bookings in place, Terry took us for a drive up to the remote mountain village of Careggine via Croce with its War Memorial dedicated to locals who have paid the ultimate price.   Located about 500 metres above Castelnouvo the memorial at Croce provided panoramic views of the valley below albeit being somewhat chilly.

 

 

From Croce we continued to Careggine and its 6^th century churches then returned home.

 

Thursday morning we departed on our first major solo outing utilizing the Italian rail network; destination Cinque Terra regarded as possibly Italy’s most beautiful region containing precious works of art, plant species, cultural, rural and seafaring traditions.   The area was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997.

Catching an early morning train from Castelnouvo to La Spezia involving changing trains at Aulla, the journey through the upper reaches of the Serchio Valley was quite scenic albeit transiting numerous tunnels popping out the other side to the view of another village nestled in the foothills of the Alps including Monzone.

 

Arriving in Aulla an hour later we changed trains for the brief trip into La Spezia, disembarked, located our hotel conveniently opposite the station and only 2 blocks from the city’s central piazza, deposited our luggage, returned to the station and purchased our day tickets to tour Cinque Terra National Park (Five Lands National Park) and its villages; we didn’t have to wait long before a shuttle train departed.

Disembarking at Monterosso (the northern most village) while listening to repeated announcement for travellers to be wary of “pickpockets” we walked into the newer section of town, located a café with views over the Mediterranean and had a coffee prior to starting our day’s exploration of the first of these very old villages predating the 10^th century.

Monterosso is divided into two being separated by a bluff with access to the older section by either a vehicular tunnel or a coastal walk.   After finishing our coffee we left the “new” section and followed the coastal walk around to the “old” section where markets were in progress.   An hour or so we reboarded the shuttle train for the short trip to Vernazza with its boat harbour and fort.

 

 

 

 

Vernazza was, on reflection, the locality we most enjoyed on Cinque Terra coast.   We spent literally hours roaming the narrow streets inspecting various nooks and crannies, climbing up to the fort with its magnificent views, walking out to the breakwater while dodging waves breaking over the wall, touring a very old church and finally resting our weary feet at a Ristorante for lunch.

Following lunch we reboarded the train for Corniglia; now Corniglia was a challenge.   Alighting from the train, we looked up to where the village was located and both wondered aloud “what the heck”.   Arriving at the base of the stairs that zigzagged to the summit was this sign..

 

 

Needless to say we were both exhausted after Corniglia and decided we’d probably viewed the best of the Cinque Terre coast so decided to call it a day.

Returning to La Spezia it was into Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi (the city centre) for coffee where after Leigh had placed our order the owner decided to provide him with a few “polishing” tips to his Italian vocabulary which by now had reached a staggering dozen words or phrases thus allowing us to at least communicate albeit basically 

After returning to Castelnouvo on Friday, first chore was to visit our now preferred travel agent and organize our next excursion to Florence and Rome.   It was interesting to hear the travel agent constantly reiterate the need for security especially in Rome due to the number of pickpockets who target tourist.

That evening together with Terry and Claire we dined at the local hotel having fish and chips; if you think fish and chips in Italy resembles the Australian format, forget it because it’s totally different.   Out came an enormous platter stacked high with prawns, scampi, octopus, calamari, fish pieces, several other Mediterranean delicacies, plus an enormous pile of chips; the platter won.

One thing that has surprised us is while Italy is predominately a devout Catholic nation its businesses remain open on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.   When we inquired why, the response was quite surprising with the rationale being that during the reign of Mussolini he decreed “Italians work” hence the abolition of numerous public holidays including Good Friday and Easter Saturday.

With the bulk of businesses closed on Sunday with the exception of some “eateries” we went of a leisurely drive up to Cascio established in 1428 with it commanding views over the southern section of the Serchio Valley.   The town has been occupied several times in its relatively short history, once during the Napoleonic era when most of the fortifications were constructed, and later by Germany; the town suffered significant damage during the second occupation.

As it was Easter the towns people had decorated the entire village with handmade flowers; it was quite a beautiful sight.
 

 

 

From Cascio we wound our way back down to the valley below continuing north following the Serchio River eventually arriving at the Ponte della Maddalena (bridge) built in the 14^th century; the bridge is a prime example of medieval engineering.

 

 

 

Tuesday morning we had an early getaway leaving Castelnouvo at 07:10 catching a train to Florence via Lucca arriving at Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station at 09:50, from there it was a brief taxi ride to the Hotel Mirage.   After booking in it was then a matter of catching a bus into downtown Florence however we managed to successfully get lost.   Eventually finding our way into Florence the remainder of the day was spent walking, walking and walking while soaking up the history and sights including;

The Duomo (Cathedral of Florence)

 

 

 

 

The Galleria degli Uffizi (possible one of the most famous museums in the world)

The Piazza della Signora, once the political centre of Florence and still the city’s main piazza with its world famous sculptures including;

Michelangelo’s “David”

Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus

Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseo holding Medusa’s head

plus numerous other historical sculptures.

 

At the same time Mita was in “shopping mode” looking at leather goods for which Florence is world renown.   Eventually arriving at the Piazza di Santa Croce, the location of numerous leather factory outlets Mita “struck gold” in her search for leather jackets.

By now we were both weary and foot sore so decided to locate a Ristorante, have a bite to eat, locate a taxi, head back to the hotel, put our feet up and enjoy a wine.

Although Terry and Claire had told us about “hop on hop off” buses in Rome, it was only upon our return to the hotel when we realized that Florence also had “hop on hop off” buses consequently Wednesday morning after managing not to get lost we purchased our day tickets.   After navigating through “downtown” Florence (how the heck the drivers of the double decker buses manage to manoeuvre through the narrow streets is just amazing).  

Crossing the Arno River the bus wound its way up to the Piazza Michelangelo lookout where we alighted.   The views over Florence to the distant snow covered mountains were quite beautiful.

 

From the lookout we caught the bus down towards Florence via numerous point of interest including Galileo’s home eventually alighting at the Palazzo Pitti, once the home of the Medici family.

From there we walked to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and its very upmarket shops.

Catching the “hop on hop off” bus we revisiting the leather outlets that for some inexplicit reason seemed to have a magnetic attraction on our credit cards.   We eventually returned of our hotel late afternoon with more leather goods; dinner that evening was at a local Ristorante within walking distance of the hotel
 

Thursday morning it was Rome’s turn.   Catching the hotel shuttle to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella Station we boarded the intercity fast train to Rome 270 kilometres away; 1½ hours later we’re in the centre of Rome.   The train trip to Rome was very comfortable with little sensation of speed Rome albeit travelling at 250 kilometres per hour.   The only discomfort experienced was when another fast train passed in the opposite direction or entering a tunnel in which case there was a sudden increase in air pressure.

 

After booking into our hotel in downtown Rome, we set out on foot spending the day exploring the immediate area and search for a warm jacket for Leigh; 5 hours later we returned to the hotel with jacket in hand.  

 

Settling into our room it was homework time.   With the relevant tourism brochures, route maps and stops for the “hop on, hop off” bus scattered around the room we went about deciding on an itinerary for the next few days.

Friday morning following breakfast in a cafe opposite the “hop on hop off” bus stop and where we also purchased our forty eight hour bus tickets (twenty four hour ticket cost €23, forty eight hour ticket cost €28), we boarded the bus and spent the day visiting;

 

The Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

 

The Basilica Santa Maria

The Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele (also housing the tomb of the unknown warrior)

And as it was Rome's 2770th birthday since its founding by Romulus there were bands at most major venues.

 

Saturday following breakfast opposite the “hop on hop off” departure point we again “set sail” with our first destination of the day being Vatican City.   Arriving at around 09:30 we were met with a 2 hour queue to gain entry unless of course we paid €50 per head to “jump the queue”.   With that option not considered we wandered around the Vatican forecourt.

 

 

From the Vatican we then headed back to the Tiber River folloing it past the Castel Sant’Angelo, a 2^nd century castle (now a museum) and the Corte Suprema di Cassazione (Supreme Courts) via the riverside markets plus numerous buskers and other artists some of whom were quite excellent.
 

 

 

Reboarding the “hop on hop off” bus, next stop was the Colosseum and its associated precinct.   While we've seen numerous photographs and documentaries about this edifice it’s not until you’re actually there that you realize the enormity and complexity of the structure.   Considering they didn’t have the aid of modern machinery the construction must have been achieved at an incredible cost to human life although after reading paraphernalia regarding the history of the Colosseum I don’t think there was much value placed on human life; some of the “entertainment” over the centuries was quite gruesome.

 

 

Adding a touch of excitement to our Colosseum visit there was a raid by motorcycle police who roared through the crowds on their bikes rounding up a group of active pickpockets resulting in the felons scattering in all directions.   We were amazed at how adept the police bike riders were.
 

Sunday we once again boarded the “hop on hop off” bus getting off near the Piazza della Repubblica then started zigzagging our way back towards the hotel on foot visiting various monuments including the Spanish Steps plus exploring lanes packed with shops and shoppers with products ranging from the exclusive down to the usual memento shops targeting tourists.

 

 

 We eventually ended up in Piazza Navona, found a gelatie bar, relaxed and watched the activities.

 

Monday morning there was no sleeping-in as we had to pack, find a taxi (fortunately there was a taxi rank nearby), get to Rome’s central station, find which platform the intercity express was departing from, and then commenced our return journey to Castelnouvo involving changing trains at Florence and Lucca (all without much drama) eventually arriving back in Castelnouvo early afternoon.

And the next 3 hours was spent recanting our travel tales to Terry and Claire over a glass of wine and snacks.

Tuesday Leigh came down with a severe case of food poisoning, the source of which was a mystery however we suspect it may have been something he ate the previous day in Rome hence he was “out of action” for several days successfully putting paid to any thoughts of travel.

By Thursday Leigh had sufficiently recovered allowing us to visit the village of Castiglioni.   Entering the village via the “new” entry that was barely 1000 years old we explored the narrow streets and alleys eventually ending up in the main piazza, walked out to the edge of the road that had brought us up to enjoy the views while at the same time watching a semi-trailer truck navigating its way down the road.   From the towns central piazza we followed the original ramparts up towards the old fort lookout hoping for a better view of the village but unfortunately it was closed.

 

Friday was an abysmal day, cold, wet and windy with low cloud and what appeared to be sleet in the nearby hills.   With that, Mita and I donned warm clothing and headed into the village for some last minute retail therapy plus a last minute visit to Leigh and Terry’s favourite chocolate shop – what a surprise.

Saturday we awoke to snow covered mountains but still a vast improvement on the preceding day.   The venue today was the medieval Fortezza di Verrucole located at the mountain village of Verrucole.

Arriving late morning Mita and I commenced the steep walk up the side of the hill to the fort with every intention of exploring this ancient structure.   Only one problem; while all signage stated opening time as 10:00 it was locked up tight.   Returning to the village below even the locals were openly surprised.

 

Sunday morning was allocated to packing in readiness for our return home, a task we weren’t looking forward to as we envisaged a looming nightmare in view of the additional items we had acquired whilst in Italy; needless to say we managed to squeeze everything in.   With packing completed it was down to La Bottega del Fattori, our favourite Tratorria for lunch, once again being thoroughly spoilt by the owners.

Following a brief walk down to the piazza Monday morning to check our emails it was time to make our way to Pisa overnighting at the Hotel Galilei located a short distance from Pisa’s airport before boarding our return flights the following morning.