I'm baaackkk

I've been back home for nearly two weeks now and it's safe to say I'm over my jetlag, almost recovered from the cold which stirred up my asthma, and not quite so traumatised by the memories of the seemingly never- ending flight from Abu Dhabi.

I've decided I need to focus on the good things about my trip because they really did outweigh everything else. I had a fantastic time. Everything went to plan: the weather was good, all of my bookings were honoured, planes and trains left on time and the hotels I arranged myself were all very comfortable.

Knowing that a blow-by-blow run down on three weeks in Italy would be as boring as batshit, I will give you instead:

Three moments that took my breath away.

1 My cooking class in Tuscany

There was a very special moment that afternoon. Our class was being conducted in the kitchen of a very old house in the village of S. Donato in Collina, which is half way between Florence and Siena. We were learning to make ravioli and our instructor was preparing the filling of spinach, ricotta and parmesan. We were drinking chianti while we worked and I could feel the sun at my back. It really was a glorious day.

There was a gentle breeze coming in through the window, and every time I turned around this is the view that faced me. I recall thinking that things couldn't get much better.

Then Alex (our instructor) started to grate some fresh nutmeg... and somehow they were. Bliss.

The ravioli were delicious by the way.

2 The Pisa Baptistry echo.

The Pisa Baptistry is a large domed building that stands near the Leaning Tower and the Cathedral (which is a bit wonky too - but you have to look hard to spot it.)

The Baptistry has the most superb acoustics thanks to its perfectly domed roof. Every half hour the guard comes out to the exact centre of the structure, calls for silence and waits until you can hear a pin drop.

Then he sings a single note and it echos around the dome for about ten seconds. Before that first note has a chance to fade away completely, he sings a different note ... and then another. Before we knew it, the most exquisite harmonies were being built and I was standing there with shivers running up and down my spine. It was absolutely spellbinding.

3 The chairlift ride from Anacapri.

This chairlift takes passengers on a six minute ride to the very top of the Isle of Capri and gives the most amazing views over the whole island, the town of Anacapri and the Bay of Naples.

The ride starts like any other chairlift amid lots of bouncing and grinding of cogs, but they are left behind within a minute. The rest of the journey is spent in near silence. No-one speaks. Even the people on the return trip don't say a word as you pass them by.

We started by passing low over the back yards of a few houses, but then we angled upwards. Soon my feet were skimming the tops of oak trees and there were wonderful scents of flowering trees wafting upwards as we passed by. I have no idea what they were, but they smelled lush and green. The higher we rose, the sparser the greenery became, but that was compensated for by the breathtaking views over the Bay.

When I reached the top I caught the eye of my companions, who had been seated just behind me. We agreed that it had been one of the most peaceful six minutes of our lives.

The return trip was lovely too, but there was something extra special about that ride up the mountain.

Honourable mention 1. Florence.

I knew that Il Duomo is the dominant feature of this city. It towers above everything else and can even be seen from the highway that bypasses the city.

But even knowing that, I was surprised to turn the corner of a narrow city street and to boom, find it literally standing right in front of me. It brought me up short.

Honourable mention 2. Rome

Our hotel was only a stone's throw from St Peter's and we had arranged to attend an early service there before the crowds were unmanageable. As our group walked towards the Basilica, the pink of the dawn light was still glowing on the dome. It was breathtaking.

The service was conducted in Pope JP2's Polish chapel- one of many chapels downstairs - and while sitting quietly at the back, I could hear chanting from another chapel to our right and a hymn being sung in German from a chapel to our left. It was an odd combination of sounds but it was actually very moving.

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Next time: The best (and worst) food.

I must be crazy but...

Well, I've done it! I booked myself a flight to Italy yesterday!

How come? I hear you ask.

Well, I was invited to join Martha (FS) and Sue (Suberbabe) and the rest of a party of US tourists in Milan, spend a week with them touring the Northern lakes and Western coast of Italy and Rome in September - and after I saw the itinerary, could hardly stop myself from drooling.

Imagine a lakeside hotel with views either over the Italian alps or the lakes, a hotel in Rome with paintings on the ceiling that is barely 400m from St Peters, or cruising to an island in the middle of Lake Maggiore!

Sighh.

How could I say no - and to such lovely ladies?

Since this means I'd have to fly half way round the world ( the flight is about 25 hours) , I decided to make it more worthwhile by spending a further week there and seeing more of this incredible country.

My tentative plan for my extra week takes in the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento and Pompeii), Tuscany (Florence and the Cinque Terre) and Venice.

I must be crazy. Right?

Remember my last blog entry? The one where I got lost in Melbourne - which is a mere 500 km away, where they speak the same language as me?

This is the woman with no sense of direction, no knowledge of Italian past what you might find on a menu or dredge up from some schoolgirl Latin (and we're talking nearly 40 years ago now), a hatred of big cities - but a love of all things Renaissance, thanks to my HSC European History teacher, Miss Gibson- and a very BIG tendency to unwittingly attract disaster.

Yup, that's me.

But I'm nothing if not game. And I have dreamed of visiting Europe ever since high school. When my marriage broke up I feared I'd never have the chance. But I intend to regard this trip as tentatively dipping my toe in the water of international travel for three weeks. If it goes well, I might decide to go to France or Switzerland next time around.

On the other hand, I may never leave home again.

I've only booked the international flight so far. The domestic flights and the land content are yet to be organised for my solo week. The week with the touring party only needs to be paid for. (Like that will be any easier)

It's gradually starting to hit me what I'm letting myself in for. There are so many decisions to make between now and then, such as -

How do I manage to strike a balance between seeing as much as I can, or relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere ( ie food and amazing scenery) without missing out or running myself ragged.

Do I want the freedom/flexibility to travel independently- which knowing me, could be tricky- or should I bear the higher costs and tight scheduling of organised tours since I'm on my own - in the interests of personal safety and having someone to have dinner with?

Should I opt for budget options like Youth hostels or B&B accommodation and a Eurail pass, rather than pricey coach trips and nice hotels, so that I can spend my limited cash on the actual sightseeing?

Hmm...as 'Deep Thought' put it. 'Tricky...'


So after some very determined armchair traveling in cyber space, these are the things I've decided to see that are NOT negotiable:

1 Il Duomo in Florence,
2 The Birth of Venus in the Uffizi and the statue of David at the Galleria della Arte.
3 The Cinque Terre and
4 Pompeii.


Everything thing else is just gravy. I must add though that I was really tempted with two 'different' tours in Florence

One is a small group cooking morning, where participants prepare a four course Tuscan banquet in the home of an Italian chef. It starts at the markets in the morning where the produce is selected and ends with eating the food we cook.

Frankly I'm drooling at just the thought of it.

The other tour is a three hour Segway tour around the city, checking out the various monuments. That could be a lot of fun - and be a bit easier on my feet than pounding the pavement all day.



Anyway I'm feeling optimistic that this whole trip will be fabulous. I just hope it doesn't beggar me. LOL

Now I think I better find some internet sites that will teach me some survival Italian. Does anyone know how to say, 'Excuse me I'm lost'?