Amalfi and Ravello

Tuesday 5th September 2006
It was a stuffy night again and I had problems breathing and therefore little sleeping and decided that another ‘vege out’ day would be appropriate. However I did wander up the street to a small shop where I bought an electric jug for 50 Euros, the last in the shop.

There was a huge collection of coffee makers in the villa, but no facility for easy boiling of water for tea.
When I got back from the shop I found that the plug on the electric jug was not compatible with the sockets in the villa, so I rushed back up to the shop hoping that it had not closed. It had not and despite my lack of Italian and the young man’s lack of English we managed to communicate. I think taking the cord of the jug with me and performing a pantomime about trying to plug it in, and it not working ‘helped’. Both Rosalind and Sheila were thrilled that their tea making equipment was now complete.
Sheila was suffering with sore knees and legs, a legacy of the Positano steps; so Sheila also decided that a rest day was the order of the day for us.
Adam and Rosalind walked down town for some retail therapy; Adam bought some shoes, trousers and some shirts while Rosalind bought a skirt.
For dinner we walked down town to a different restaurant called ‘Il Capitano’, it was in a very pleasant balcony area, on top of a hotel that seemed to be largely located below ground, though I suspect it was an illusion created by the steep topography of the area.
I was starting to notice that the menus in each place we went to was very similar and I was forming the opinion that when dinning out in Italy if you don’t want to eat Italian then you don’t eat.
The evening was very balmy and walking very slowly back up the hill to the villa was very pleasant and a prelude to a great nights sleep.
Wednesday 6th September 2006
I felt a lot better for a good nights sleep and even though I was up quite early for breakfast Adam had already left for a run up a very big hill nearby to the small village of Nochelle, while Rosalind was doing some grocery shopping in a nearby supermarket. I think the term supermarket is a bit of a grandiose title as it was about five metres by ten metres, though its shelves were stacked to the ceiling.
When Adam returned and showered he announced that the plan for the day was to drive along the coast to Amalfi and then inland to Ravello. In its ‘hey day’ Amalfi and its fleet of ships were a serious rival to Venice and Genoa.
I was ready very quickly and finished reading another of the books that we had brought with us: ‘High Society’ by Ben Elton. ‘High Society’ is a ‘black’ comedy about drug use in all strata of English society. It seemed to be a very realistic portrayal, and mostly I thought it very sad even though it was meant to be comic in places, more tragic than anything, but a book that I think many people should read.
The next book I started was ‘A Perfect Obsession’ by Caro Fraser, a book about some barrister’s chambers in London, easy to read and amusing.
The road to Amalfi via Priano along the hillsides with very close views of steep drops to the sea was even more winding and narrow than those we had experienced to date.

The next picture give you some insight, but it should be mentioned that often drivers have to move their wing mirrors in towards their cars so that they can scrape by each other.

Scrape by being an apt description as not long after this Adam had the back rear right side forced against the wall in one tight squeeze, though we managed to ‘polish out’ the damage before the car was returned and Adam was not charged any excess for it.
We stopped for lunch at a square in a little fishing village called Atrani, just past Amalfi. I was pleased when I spotted a ‘free’ car spot when we were looking for somewhere to leave the car while we had lunch in the square featured over the page. After lunch when we returned to the car we found out it was not a free spot and in fact Adam had been given a parking ticket for 35 Euros.



The short trip inland from Atrani to Ravello is spectacular and when you get to Ravello they get even better. The next photos are of Ravello and include a church that was built in 1086 and is still very much in use.
Ravello’s history is entwined with that of Amalfi: the former became part of the Duchy of Amalfi in the 9th century. The greatest era was during the 13th century, when trade with Sicily and the middle-east was at its height. Somewhat off the beaten track, in fact there is no through road; Ravello is for lovers of peace and quiet and stupendous views. The Duomo (church) is dedicated to San Pantaleone, the town’s patron saint, and the blood of the saint is kept there. The church dating from 1086 has bronze doors dating from 1179. Inside, halfway down on the left hand side is a splendid raided pulpit, the work of Niccolo di Bartolomeo da Foggia in 1272. The twisted columns patterned with mosaics, rest on sculpted lions.
Walking around the town was a very warm experience, but very rewarding as the Moorish detail are evident in many of the buildings, in the inner courtyards, gardens and many churches. The narrow streets and pathways often provide unexpected glimpses of marvellous coastal views. Two highlights are the Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone.
The villa Rufolo, originally built for the Rufolo family, is a mixture of 13th and 14th century constructions. Sheila was thrilled to see that it was remodelled in the 19th century by a Scottish enthusiast,(Selkirk I think) who preserved the Arabic elements. It is famous for the courtyard with double arches and even more for the tropical gardens, which inspired Wagner’s Parsifal. The Wagner festival is now held there annually. We walked along the Via San Francesco, which led to the Villa Cimbrone.

The Villa Cimbrone was built in the late 1800’s by the Englishman Lord Grimthorpe; it is an assortment of ancient architectural elements incorporated into the house which is now a small hotel. From the villa’s cliff top terrace there is a spellbinding view of the coast to Punta Licosa and the Paestum plain, where we planned to go on another day.

Following are some views of the church including the pulpit in the middle of the church which was a phenomena of the churches in middle ages, the confessional and the alter where the blood of San Pantaleone. I think the blood is supposed to liquefy on a particular day in July of each year and if it does not it is a bad omen for the town. Adam and I had a close look behind the alter and the glass flask, and conjectured that perhaps the priest is the only person who gets close enough to see the ‘miracle’ and declares it to the faithful.







The pulpit



I kept expecting Dave Allen to appear, but he did not



In the small cabinet that is illuminated is the glass flask containing the blood of San Pantaleone.

The next pictures show some of the Moorish features and views of the garden and the sea. The platform was where an orchestra was playing during the Wagner festival.















While I was busy taking pictures I became separated from the other three, and it was half an hour or more before I was found, and Sheila told me off for wandering away causing her to worry that I might become ill and no-one will be on hand to help. Despite my errant behaviour we had a great day. In the evening we went down to the restaurant strip again, this time to a place called ‘Mediterraneo’. The meal was very good despite it being the same limited ‘Italian’ menu. There was an excellent busker walking around the restaurant getting everyone involved in singing Italian songs. We had a few glasses of Limon cello, which diminished our inhibitions and increased the volume of our contributions. We bought a copy of his CD and have enjoyed listening to it a few times already. I also took a few opportunities to watch a soccer match between France and Italy, that the owner had showing on a TV in the kitchen. France won this game 3-1 which I guess was revenge for the World Cup.
Sheila and I walked back to the villa falling into bed about 2330, with no idea at what time Adam and Rosalind returned.








The next picture is of the CD cover of the CD containing songs by Pietro Rainone




The following picture is of the card that is provided by the restaurant Mediterraneo Via Pasitea 236 -238 Positano www.ristorantimediterraneo.com to hide the bill so you don’t faint.

Pictures of steps

Missing from last blog posting

3rd Day and Night in Positano

Monday 4th September 2006
It had been a very hot and sticky night making it very difficult to sleep as there was no air conditioning or even fans. Sheila was up and out by 0815 having not slept much and wanting to get a adaptor plug to enable her to use her hairdryer one of the ladies travel essentials, on the shopping list was also some toilet rolls, one of the essentials for all of us.
Adam and Rosalind came in at 1000, they had gone for a run at 0800 to the village of Priano and back, on the way back Rosalind was lucky to just avoid being run over by a car on a sharp bend.
Fortunata was cleaning the house and Sheila asked Fortunata to show Sheila how to work the washing machine. Unfortunata spoke NO English, but some how they managed to communicate.
After Rosalind and Adam cooled off and changed, we all walked down the roadway to the main beach area and had lunch on the promenade. Adam and Rosalind had octopus salad, Sheila a tuna salad, while I felt obliged to order a pizza, again, but this time I asked for a vegetable pizza and this made me feel a little righteous. Sheila and I also had a gelato of various flavours.
We wandered via MANY shops back to the square at the top of the pedestrian precinct, where the bus terminates on its round trip. I suggested to Sheila that she take the bus back to the villa while I investigated the cost of hiring a motor scooter to make it easier for Sheila and I to get around the village. I went to a couple of places, one place quoted 50 Euros a day for a 50 cc scooter and 65 Euros a day for a 125 cc scooter, that is about Australian $100 a day. I went to another place and there I was offered a Vespa for 400 Euros for 10 days hire or about Australian $1,000 I said that I wanted to hire it not buy it, but that was their ‘best price’; the hills stopped looking as steep and the ‘orange bus was looking more and more like my transport of choice.
Adam and Rosalind went food shopping and prepared a superb platter of antipasto which we ate in our moonlit loggia. Then while we had a siesta Adam cooked a huge pot of mushroom risotto; after dinner we all felt exhausted and had another early night.
The following pictures are examples of the steep stairways of Positano:

2nd Day and night in Positano

While the others stayed in bed I decided to go down town to see if I could get one of my camera memory cards transferred to a compact disc and also fix a problem with another disc which appeared to have a problem, I suspected another ‘duff’ stick, but operator error was always a possibility.
I walked up to the top of the road where there was a bus stop and boarded an ‘orange’ bus that was the Positano Internal bus that just does a circuit of the village.

It cost one Euro and I got off at the central square in the lower town and quickly got directions to a shop that might be able to provide the service that I was seeking. It was about 100 metres uphill from the bus stop and fortunately the young lady looking after the shop spoke very good English, and for 5 Euros she transferred my photos onto a disc and also sorted out the problem with the other camera memory card. It was operator error, I had never noticed that there is a small plastic tab that can slide along the edge of the memory card and effectively lock the card. The young lady just flicked the tab back and I was able to delete all the old ‘China’ trip photos and use it for the many that I would take over the next week.
I walked back to the square and after a few minutes boarded the ‘Positano Interno’ bus to take me back to the top of the town and the villa. I used the same bus ticket for the return trip and felt very pleased with my little solo adventure. I tried to use a single bus trip to include a return trip on a few more occasions, but without any success.
When I got back to the villa everyone else was just starting to move and slowly get their breakfasts. About 1100 I sat down in one of the sitting areas and relaxed on a sofa while reading one of the books that we brought with us: ‘Eleven on Top’ a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich. They are a great series and this one did not disappoint me.
I fell asleep on the couch and then decided to go through to my bedroom and have a proper siesta. It lasted until 1600; Sheila had been waiting for me to wake, while Adam and Rosalind had already gone down town.
Sheila and I decided that we would also go down town and get some late lunch. We took the ‘orange’ bus, and then walked from the square down to the main beach area. On the way we stopped and had coffee and tuna with tomato, rolls. The crazy system of queuing to select what you want, then queuing to pay for what you have selected, followed by queuing again to hand over your receipt in exchange for the goods you wanted DRIVES ME MAD!
It was mayhem getting a bus back because of the crowds waiting who have no idea about orderly queuing and this was my first failure in my attempts to use the same bus tickets for a round trip.
When we got back to the villa Adam had his computer up and running through a telephone point in the kitchen and it was hooked into the net. I was most impressed as I have often had problems trying to get internet connections when I have been overseas.
I took the opportunity to view some of the ‘Rome’ photos that I had transferred to a compact disc and I was happy with most of them.
Adam fixed some ‘gin and tonics’ and large slices of local bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We took them up to the balcony outside their bedroom and ate and drank under the light of another spectacular silvery moon. While we had our ‘nibbles’ we saw a small fireworks display being conducted in the hill above Positano. The sound echoed around the hills making them far noisier than one would expect. We walked down the road and some of the shortcut steps to a series of outdoor restaurants. The steps were agony for Sheila’s knees and it was the last time that Sheila and I used them to descend into the town. The restaurant we used was called the ‘Golden Saracen’ and the meal was good although the menu range was limited. We all walked back together along the road which took longer but was less stressful. Adam and Rosalind were the first to go to bed about 2300, with Sheila and I going to bed about 2330.

To be continued

Day one and night in Positano

While exploring the fantastic villa Adam and I climbed a set of steps up onto the roof and were treated to fantastic 360 degree views of Positano and the moon rising over a nearby village called Priano on a headland that separates Positano from Amalfi. Sheila was caught up by our excitement and mounted the steps to the roof. Vertigo quickly took Sheila’s breath away and I helped her back to the patio with its surrounding walls that were only a metre high but gave a sense of safety.
The next photos are of the moon rising over Priano:









We showered, got changed then walked, via many narrow passageways and sets of steep stairs to a restaurant with tables set next to the road side and thankfully started pre-dinner drinks about 2130. I was feeling exhausted and did not feel much like eating any dinner, but I managed. After dinner Sheila and I hailed a taxi being driven past our table and flopped on the back seat, glad that we were not having to walk back up the very steep hills to the villa. Being a one-way road through Positano we had a quick trip through the rest of Positano and around the back road to the villa. The fare for the 2 or 3 kilometre trip was 15 Euro or about Australian $32, which Sheila and I thought was exorbitant, though we were glad to get back to the villa and fall into bed. It was the first and last time that we hired a taxi in Positano.
Sunday 3rd September 2006
I was woken about 0645 by the peel of church bells alerting the faithful to their religious obligations; I decided that my devotions would be satisfied in the kitchen and I had breakfast on mine own about 0710 while everyone else had a sleep in. It was a few hours before the others caught up, Adam and Rosalind’s tardiness did not surprise me when I heard that they had not returned to the villa until 0400, as they had stayed on at the restaurant and then discovered a bar and the delights of Limón cello.

Arrival in Positano

Basically you take a very windy road through various tunnels and spectacular vistas across the Bay of Naples towards Napoli in the distance, and follow the coast road until just before Sorrento the village of Meta. Here we took a left turn up over the hill which separates the Amalfi coast from the Bay of Naples. It is a very sharp ridge so it is only a few minutes from by-passing Meta until one sees Tyrrhenian Sea and the glorious coastline. I was pleased that I was not driving as the road becomes even more narrow and winding and clings to the side of the hills as they drop very steeply down to the sea providing spectacular views that are exciting as one is passed in the opposite direction by mad motor cyclists cars and very large tourist buses that require one or the other to back up on some bends so that they can get around without pushing you over the edge. On the next pages are some photos from Napoli that I missed in the previous section, they indicate some of the natives on their beach and better picture of the Castel dell’ Ovolo.









The next pictures are of the approach to Positano and the outside of our villa, ‘Torre Dei Quattroventi’ (the Tower of the Four Winds), it was built as a watchtower in the fourth century to alert the citizens of Positano of any impending invasion from the sea by the Saracens or Sarcacino. A brochure in the villa describes it:
The Tower of the Four Winds has been carefully restored, and extended over time, it offers one of the most suggestive sojourns on the Amalfi coast, in an atmosphere of bygone times. It is furnished with antique pieces, some of them extremely precious. From the terraces and from almost all the rooms there are enchanting panoramic views over Positano and the sea. The well-tended outdoor areas comprise a garden with a fully-equipped loggia, the ideal spot for conviviality and relaxation. On the ground floor is the large lounge with its characteristic sails vault and splendid view, and a dinning room decorated with ancient majolica tiles featuring a large fireplace.
On the second floor the ‘Suite Li Galli’ is elegantly furnished with period furnishings and precious textiles, as are all the other rooms. Situated in the centre of Positano the main beach with bathing establishments, boats and sea connections with Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri, can be reached via the characteristic lanes and steps, 70 kms from Naples airport.
At this point I should record that inside the villa there were sixty three steps from the kitchen to the rooftop patio outside Adam and Rosalind’s bedroom, where we had drinks and ‘nibbles each night’ and seven hundred steps to get to the beach and town centre. The steps did not include the steep roadway that was also part of the trip. It was longer of course if one avoided the steps which was the option that Sheila and I elected most times.







All the ivy covered villa was ours for the duration, to the left hand side can be seen the start of a stairway that leads down towards the town centre and beach. On the way down one day a local explained with some pride that the section we had just traversed was the most steep in Positano.



A view from my bedroom window.

Pizza in Napoli

I had prepared a trip guide using the ‘Michelin Maps’ but it was not much use as it does not have enough detail of the small roads that can lead one astray, but luckily Adam spotted some green signs that indicated the way to the Autostrada and we knew that once we got onto the Autostrada via the Grande Annulare (big ring road) we would be on the right track. Adam had to duck and dodge a bit to continue to follow the green signs as often they were placed after an intersection confirming you had made a correct choice but a bummer if you did not. With hindsight I think one should just keep going in a straight line unless something else is definitely indicated, not a guarantee, but I think it will improve your chances of success.
We found ourselves on the A12 which appeared to be a major divided road out of Rome and made us quite hopeful. By now it was about 1020 and we were surprised to see a young girl by the roadside in a very short skirt, fish net stockings and a very cropped top and plenty of make-up. “Must have had a late night out and is now trying to get a lift, very risky”, concluded Sheila. A few hundred metres along the road we saw another couple of girls also standing by the roadside and also wearing very little. “Really must have been a big night” ventured Sheila. Adam and I burst out laughing, “they are hookers” we explained; but we had to admit that it seemed out of place for the increasing number of scantily clad ‘ladies of the night’ to be plying their trade on a Saturday morning.

We had a laugh imagining the various Marios and Giuseppes telling the spouses that they had run out of petrol for the mower and were just nipping down the garage to get some fuel, a whole new spin on the Saturday morning chores.
The road signs continued to be very confusing, but as long as we kept a keen eye out for diversions to Napoli (Naples) we kept on the right track.
Upon request, from Rosalind and Sheila, Adam pulled into a Auto Grill, that is a petrol and eating place on the motorway so the ladies could get a toilet break and also some cold drinks as it was a warm day and although the car climate control was excellent everyone still got very thirsty. We made very good time often doing 180 kph which was about the standard speed of the fast lane traffic. On the way we could clearly see the Abby on top of Monte Casino, the site of a very fierce battle in World War II. It looks very imposing and another site that I would like to visit one day.
As we were making such good time and would not be able to get into the villa in Positano until after 1700 Adam suggested that we leave the motorway and head into Napoli for lunch and eat some pizza that originated from Napoli.
Formed by an immense crater, the Bay of Naples provides both shelter areas and others exposed to the elements; sheltered by the curve of hills to the east which create a natural semi-circular amphitheatre, but open to the sea. Much of the coast line was used by Homer as a setting for the Odyssey. Mt Vesuvius stands guard over a bay which owes its beauty and characteristic curves to the volcanic eruptions.

Sheila in front of the bay at Napoli with Monte Somma in the background the cone of Mount Vesuvius is in effect inside Monte (Mount) Somma.



After parking the car on the front we walked back past the Castel dell’Ovo; the oldest castle in Napoli built on the islet of Megaris. In the 5th century , a community of monks founded the San Salvatore monastery, the only remaining part of which is the church. The oldest part of the castle (‘egg ‘castle from its shape) dates from the 9th century. The present appearance is the rebuilding carried out after 1503.

Castel dell’Ovo




On the way to lunch we passed many brides posing for some of their wedding photos



Our Napoli pizzas



After lunch we walked back to the car and then kept driving around the edge of the bay. As we entered some of the more maritime industrial areas it was looking a bit grotty so we sought out the Autostrada which we followed for only a few kilometres and then took a slip road off to head for Sorrento and the Amalfi coast.

Some more missing pictures

These are the ones missing from the 'All Roads Lead to Rome' chapter;I hope

Some of the missing pictures

I hope!

A day and night in Rome

Obviously I am still having problems up loading photos I will try and get some help. Meanwhile

The 141 foot unsupported span of The Pantheon is larger than the cupola at St Peter’s.
It was the world’s largest freestanding dome until 1960 when it was eclipsed by the Superdome in New Orleans, but I think one should also consider the Haghia Sofia in Istanbul which is now an elliptical dome 31 metres by 33 metres and with a height to its crown of 56 metres from the ground, and the dome of the church of Santa Maria in Mosta, Malta built between 1833 and 1860 based on the Pantheon and its diameter of 39.6 metres is exceeded only by the Pantheon (43 metres) and St Peter’s in Rome (42.1 metres). However the parishioners of Xewkija on the island of Gozo, part of the Maltese archipelago, claim that their church has a bigger dome than Mosta’s, although the Gozitan Rotunda has a smaller diameter (25 metres) it is higher and has a larger volumetric capacity. So whose is ‘biggest’ is a moot point.
However back to the Pantheon




The circular hole in the roof is called ‘The Oculus’.



The rientranze are the recesses in the wall.
Formal Christian tombs were often misaligned with the architecture so they could lie facing east so that is why some seem misplaced.

Sheila inside the Pantheon





Another view of inside the Pantheon

A view of the outside on the Eastern side of the Pantheon



Adam had a head of steam up now and we wandered along in his wake until we came to the Tiber River and I was fascinated to find that we were only a few hundred meters from the pedestrian bridge across the Tiber to the Castel Sant’Angelo; (Angels and Demons by Dan Brown).




The next few photos are of the Castel Sant’Angelo and the mammoth bronze angel with his sword pointing directly downward to the exact centre of the castle where Dan Brown claimed the ‘illuminati’ would meet.






Adam, Rosalind and Sheila crossing the pedestrian bridge







Adam then strode off westwards mentioning over his shoulder that St Peter’s was not far away. As we went along the road to St Peter’s Adam also mentioned that on the way we had crossed the borders of two countries i.e. Italy and the Vatican City State; though I believe that there is still some debate about the status of the Vatican City State and its relationship to Italy.

It was still very warm and although some bottles of water helped we were keen to sit in the shade, except Adam who was trying in vain to convince one of us to join the long queue to get inside St Peter’s rather than just stay in the square.

Following are pictures of St Peter’s Square and St Peter’s




















Rosalind and Sheila’s legs were aching by now and Adam and I agreed that we should get a taxi back to the hotel; on the journey back we realised just how far we had walked.
When we got back to the hotel Sheila decided to have s short nap while I went to the roof of the hotel to get some rooftop views of Rome and inside the hotel lobby.








With the roof of the Pantheon just about in the middle of the picture





The Victor Emmanuelle Monument

















After taking these pictures I joined Sheila for an afternoon nap. We met up with Adam and Rosalind for drinks at 1900 before Adam and Rosalind had to meet a colleague of his for some drinks after which Adam and Rosalind would join us for a late dinner before a ‘good’ sleep prior to driving down to Positano. After a quick drink we took a taxi to a hotel near the Piazza Navonna. We walked to the Piazza Navonna and agreed that we would all meet at 2045 by ‘The Four Fountains of the Four Rivers’ fountain by Bernini. Adam and Rosalind went off to the hotel where they were going to meet his colleague, while Sheila and I wandered around the Piazza Navonna looking at many ‘poor’ paintings on sale in the Piazza, observing the vast array of different nations walking around during the balmy evening and watching the ‘hawkers demonstrating their multi lit helicopter toys that flew off spiral sticks to heights of twenty to thirty metres to be caught as they came back to earth. As the sun disappeared these toys became even more colourful with their flashing lights contrasted by the night-time sky. I must admit I was a bit tempted, but sanity or old age prevailed and I did not buy one.
Surrounding the piazza are many open air restaurants which quickly filled with tour groups as dinner time approached. We were pleased that our plans were for a later meal and we would not be lumped in with a loud tour group. Sheila and I just wandered along a few narrow streets that led off the piazza in search of a drink to help pass the time and quench our thirst. We found a small wine bar that had a sign outside stating, ‘English was spoken’ so we decided that it would represent the easiest option. It turned out that the bar was owned and operated by an American chap who did in deed speak passable English.

However we when asked for a “lager with a dash of lime” we were given an Italian ale with lemon juice in it. It tasted fully as awful as one would expect, we did drink it to quench our thirst, but did note that as the only non Americans drinking in the bar we were the only ones not provided with the advertised ‘free nibbles with all drinks’.
We meandered back to the Piazza Navonna and sat on the wall around the fountain. While we waited for Adam and Rosalind I made friend with a Boxer dog who was being exercised, on reflection it would have been best to make friends before he had a drink from the fountain and not afterwards, as my trousers became soaked in water and drool.
An Italian chap came and sat next to Sheila on the other side from me and was talking about his studies in Berlin. We had read warnings about being approached by bag snatchers who posed as students and Sheila clasped her hand bag tightly to her as she continued to let him talk. The ‘student’ seemed genuine to us and I hope that he was and he only suffered some slight suspicion from us.
Adam and Rosalind turned up at the appointed time and we wandered off in search of a tourist free restaurant, it was not too difficult and we were soon establish in a small out door restaurant that offered a pleasant menu and a quiet table.
Adam had Tuscan beef with seared vegetables, Rosalind and I had Pasta Carbonara while Sheila settled for a Ravioli with egg plant and buffalo cheese.
We all were feeling a bit weary after dinner and to a taxi back to our hotel and were in bed by midnight.
Sheila awoke at early having slept well asking, “Is it five thirty or six thirty?”
I turned on my light and checked my watch “five thirty my love!”
We met Adam and Rosalind at 0900 in the roof top restaurant for a huge breakfast and left the hotel at 1000 heading for Napoli and Positano.

To be continued

All Roads Lead to Rome Eventually

All Roads Lead to Rome Eventually

31st August 2006
This was the day of our departure for Europe. Sheila has completed most of her packing the previous evening, while I figured that I would have plenty of time in the forenoon as we were not leaving until after lunch. My assessment proved to be correct and it only took me a couple of minutes to carefully sling my stuff in my case.
Adam had gone to work as usual having packed his bag before he went to work.
Rosalind, Sheila and I left their apartment at 1534, with Khun Boon Chuay driving, hoping to pick Adam up at his office on the way to the ‘old’ airport. We picked Adam up no problem but as there was five of us in the car and four cases I had to have my case on my knee for the trip to the airport, I was pleased that mine was the smallest and lightest.
The roads were quite busy as usual, but once we were on the tollway it was a quick 30 minute trip to the airport. It is an axiom of mine that on every trip something will be forgotten or left behind by someone. The secret to successful travel then is to try and ensure that the forgotten item is not a critical one. This time was no exception: we had got the cases out of the car, waved goodbye to Khun Boon Chuay and just moved the cases into the terminal when Rosalind realised that she had left her ‘cabin’ bag in the front of their car. Rosalind quickly telephoned Khun Boon Chuay hoping to get hold of him before he got back onto the tollway from which there is no u-turning for about
40 km.
Meanwhile Adam and I put the four cases through baggage screening and took the bags to the Singapore Airlines booking counter for our SQ973 flight at 1800 to Rome via Singapore. We had just got the boarding passes issued when Khun Boon Chuay arrived at the kerbside and Rosalind was able to retrieve her ‘cabin’. I thought this was a god omen as we had our travel ‘crisis’ and it had proved to me a very minor one.
Adam and Rosalind took us into the ‘business class’ waiting lounge for about 20 minutes before we boarded which is a nice way to relax before take off.
It is only a couple of hours flight to Singapore during which I watched the movie ‘Romance and Cigarettes’, I describe it as a bit of a ‘chick flick’, but for naughty chicks. Because of the duration of the film was longer than the flight I missed the last fifteen minutes, but I am not devastated and not at all keen to see what I missed. Sheila was watching ‘On a Clear day’ and oblivious to the fact that most of the cabin could hear her unrestrained laughter. I made a not to watch that film during the next leg of our journey.
At Singapore airport Adam and I got some Euros from the currency exchange bureau. Because of the volume of Euros that Adam got, he was given a clock set into a metal model plane, which Adam gave to me, and I earmarked for Eric on our return to Bathurst. Eric Andrews is currently studying for his pilots licence and as we call him Biggles this model bi-plane seemed most appropriate. Adam also gave me a leather bound pen from Balmain of Paris which was a gift from Singapore airlines to its valued customers. I earmarked that one for me.
Adam and Rosalind took us into the first class lounge where I sat guard on our cabin bags while the other three went shopping for various essential items.

For Adam it was some books to read on holiday. For Sheila mostly is was just looking at shops, but also trying to get her frequent flyer credits added to her account as the travel agent had stuffed up yet again. Sheila returned from her window shopping while Adam and Rosalind continued theirs. While Adam and Rosalind were away an airport attendant with a wheel chair came across the Sheila and said “Are you travelling to Manchester madam?”
If looks could have killed he would have needed a stretcher not a wheelchair.
Sheila does have problems with her legs sometimes, and she did not say a word, but the withering stare communicated Sheila’s distain for the wheelchair or perhaps it was the idea that she might have be a person who would go to Manchester. Adam went with Sheila to the service desk to ensure that her frequent flyer points would be credited for the Bangkok to Singapore flight and also ensure that it would appear for the rest of the flights.
Although we could have eaten and drank as much as we liked we all abstained apart from mineral water. I worked on a couple of cross words from some ‘Lovatts’ crosswords books, that I had been sent by Christine Lovatt as a thank you for a thousand questions and answers that I had e-mailed to her. Sheila and Rosalind helped with a couple of answers and it proved a useful pastime as we waited the three hours for our flight to Rome. There were a very loud Australian couple half the room away from us, but everyone in the room was party to their conversation whether they wanted to be or not. Sheila was dismayed to hear from them that they would be on the same flight as us t Rome. We hoped that they would be no-where near us during the flight.
They were not for which we were very grateful. It was a very comfortable flight to Rome and the twelve hour flight seemed to pass quite quickly. I did watch the movie ‘On a Clear Day’, it is great in the same genre as ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Brassed Off’ and I thought as good, almost. It took Sheila and I a little while to sort out the mechanisms of the bed operation, with a little help from Rosalind, the illuminated blue button was the key to getting it the flattest and back into it’s pod to provide a screen from noise and light. This enabled us to get at least four or five hours sleep and arrive at Leonardo Da Vinci airport at Fiumicino airport. I wish the Italians would make up their minds at to whether it is Leonardo Da Vinci Airport or Fiumicino airport then provide the appropriate signage, a portend of significance.
We had no difficulty in getting through immigration other than the staff more concerned with their hair and their mates than helping travellers. We boarded the train that provides the transportation from the arrivals terminal to the baggage collection, they are very frequent and speedy, but alas our luggage was quite a bit longer, though it all arrived. After retrieving our luggage we entered the ‘rat maze’ the best description of the design of the airport. We were in search of the car hire companies; we missed out on the cheese on our first attempt as we by-passed their location and then had to back track through the maze. Not withstanding the fact that this was the second time that we had been to Rome airport and hired a car albeit a couple of years previously.
When we got to the Europcar counter Rosalind Sheila and I sat while Adam went through the process of getting the car. It never is a simple process in Italy and this was no exception as we could see Adam’s body language change and first one then two other staff members ‘helped’ while other customers came and went.

Rosalind and Sheila did not want to be photographed after an overnight flight from Bangkok. Adam is in the middle at the Europcar counter ‘negotiating’ with the staff.

It was an extended process with them starting at an apology for not having the BMW that Adam had requested, apparently there is never a guarantee that you will get the type of car you request. Adam was then offered a range of unsuitable vehicles that would have been no use for the four of us with all our cases. Eventually Adam agreed to take a Mercedes E series that proved to be an excellent car in all respects.
I had prepared a detailed trip schedule to guide us from the airport to our hotel, Regina Hotel Baglioni in the Via Veneto in Rome.
However as we left the airport Adam seemed very confident that he knew where he was going and how to get to the Via Veneto and did not appear to need to consult the map or my explicit directions. I assumed that he had studied the detail route map that I had prepared and given to him. It is an old adage that one should never assume anything as it makes an ASS out of U and ME. Notwithstanding its age the axiom proved to be true once again.
Adam had not studied the map and when he turned off the Grand Annulare, ring road earlier than I expected I thought perhaps he had worked out a quicker route.
Nah, he was flying blind and when I say flying I mean it, if Adam if geographically embarrassed his response is to drive faster and faster. I call it the snooker table strategy where by a players figures that if they hit the balls hard to make them go around the table enough times, eventually they will fall down a hole.

We did see parts of Rome that we had not seen before and specifically suburbs to the south west of the central district whereas we needed to be in the north west of the city.
The map given to us by the hire company was of no use partly because by that time we had no idea where we were on the map and although we could se street names there was no index of streets with the map so no way of pin pointing our location, especially while low flying.
After an hour or so of driving we managed to coordinate our location with a site on the map and I could start to navigate our desired direction.
Unfortunately there was a large demonstration by a few thousand hunters complaining about some restrictions that were being imposed on their hobby. I suspect that it was an EU membership requirement and given their disruption to the traffic and our progression I was all for the restrictions whatever they were. Every time we needed to turn left the road was blocked off or was ‘one way’ the other way and we were herded towards the main railway station. Gradually we managed to work our way north west of the city via Republic Square and enter the Via Vittorio Veneto about half way along the length of the street. Driving up the Via Veneto, on the right hand side we spotted our hotel on the other side of the road on which no u-turns are possible. We had to drive out side of the old city wall to the Villa Borghese gardens before Adam could turn back and be on the correct side to access the hotel, with our fingers crossed for valet parking.
Adam was very relieved when the hotel staff on the forecourt said that they had valet parking and would park the car for him.
The following is a description of the hotel from their brochure:
Regina Hotel Baglioni in Via Veneto, the heart of Rome famed for the Dolce Vita lifestyle of the 50’s and 60’s is just a stones throw from the magnificent gardens of the Villa Borghese and the famous cafes of the capital. The elegant Regina Hotel Baglioni is the home of class and sober elegance; today it is the favourite destination for those who travel and search for Italian style and luxury. The 143 rooms and suites show the passion and taste in art and furnishings which give an air of supreme comfort to guests
On the next few pages I included some pictures of various suites that are typical of the style.

I am not able to upload photos at the moment but pictures of the hotel may be viewed at www.baglionihotels.com I will try again another day with the missing photos







This was our bedroom.




Registration was no problem though I still think it is strange to have to show ones passport when registering. Our luggage was being delivered to our rooms and meanwhile a bellboy escorted us to a lift and took us to the first floor while announcing “Scuse me but we need to take another lift”. We dutifully followed him along a corridor turning numerous corners and then entered another lift. We exited on the second floor and proceeded on another trek while the bellboy compared the room numbers to our keys. When we came to a dead end he apologetically announced “Scuse me but we need to go back down and take a different lift, I am a sorry there has been some changes”. I hoped that the changes did not include our rooms being ‘disappeared’. We went back to the first floor and then via a different set of corners to another lift and then a small labyrinth until we arrived at our rooms. I was a little concerned that we would never find our way back to reception and I quipped “could you please run some string from our room to the front door so that we can find our way in and out?” Nothing, no smile no acknowledgement ah ce la vie or whatever is the Italian equivalent.
We were thrilled with the rooms that are well appointed and large. Everyone was starting to relax and agreed that we should shower, get changed and then lunch at a nearby sidewalk café.

Adam, Rosalind and Sheila’s right hand and ladybag outside Regina Hotel Baglioni on the Via Veneto





Our lunch venue on the Via Veneto

As we had lunch Adam announced, much to the consternation of Rosalind and Sheila that we should not waste the day and asked us to nominate any building that we would like to see. Rosalind and Sheila were still expressing their views on a possible ‘route march’ around Rome while I nominated the Pantheon. Adam assured us all that it was very close so off we marched Adam in the lead with me a close second and the ladies lingering behind as various shop windows caught their eyes.
It was very sunny and hot and when we found ourselves at the top of the ‘Spanish Steps’ Sheila was somewhat dismayed as walking down the steps is hard on her knee joints.
We were all very impressed with the Pantheon the sense of history is almost overpowering