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1st September 2007

Italy Part 2

It’s easy to warm to Italy. All the frustrations caused by poor service, confusing road signs and general Latin confusion can melt away when confronted with a stunning cathedral or lush olive and vine clad Tuscan valley.

The last two campsites we have stayed at have also been by far the best of the Italian bunch and just when we had given up any remaining hope of finding a campsite with Wi-fi anywhere south of the Alps, we stumbled upon the one we’re at now where the Wi-fi isn’t just available but free too - hence the reason for 2 web-pages with 24 hours. (The date of the previous post has been slightly backdated for the sake of continuity.)

We spent 4 nights outside Florence, enjoying a relaxed pace of life in a beautiful rural setting. On one day we took the bus into Florence hoping to explore the world class art galleries on offer. Sadly, we chose to go in on a Monday and they were all closed. This was a blow but all was not lost as Florence turned out to be a very nice place to just stroll around and take in a leisurely lunch. The cathedral was an undoubted highlight, from the outside at least. It was so magnificently ornate in white and green marble that the inside, when we finally reached the front of the queue, was just a little disappointing. Florence also proved to be a hard city to photograph from ground level and it was too hot to contemplate crossing the river and climbing for a panorama.

We also visited Siena, about an hour south of Florence. It’s much smaller but no less crowded and finding a car park within walking distance of the walled city proved to be a bit of a trial. Siena boasts a fine shell shaped piazza overlooked by a palace and sky scraping bell tower. The cathedral was much smaller than the one in Florence but beautifully decorated both inside and out and with an all inclusive pass, we were able to spend much of the day marvelling at the ecclesiastical treasures and getting just slightly bored of the endless paintings of Madonna & Bambino or Christo Morto.

We stopped briefly in Pisa and wandered around the cathedral grounds there. The Leaning Tower is an incredible sight and it’s almost a shame that the Cathedral and baptistery nearby are neglected as a result. Together, these three Romanesque Edifices represent some of the most arresting architecture I have seen on this trip.

Our last stop in Italy is on the coast south of Genoa. We spent yesterday walking the trail that links the Cinque Terre, five tiny but very pretty coastal villages. The Lonely Planet, usually an admirably accurate travel guide promised a “mildly challenging” 12km walk. I can tell you that climbing hundreds of steps as a part of a 12km walk in the Italian midday sunshine is a little more than mildly challenging. Hugely worthwhile though.

We saw the worst of Italian officiousness on the train journey back when the 4 tourists in the seats next to us were given an on the spot fine of 100 euros for not having their tickets validated. It was an unnecessary and very public humiliation for these poor people and I felt completely helpless as the inspector took my ticket in order to demonstrate to them how their tickets should have been stamped. We only knew to stamp them because we had omitted to do so in Amsterdam. Instead of a fine, the official patiently explained what we should have done so that we would know for the next time. Luckily for us.

It’s the first day of autumn here and the journey is beginning to draw to a close.

We’re back in France tomorrow and the World Cup is just a week away. Hopefully the weather will continue to hold.