Home Again

I'm back home again on the Gold Coast after a relaxing holiday. On my journey I met some very interesting and hospitable people, saw some fabulous sights and experienced different cultures and cuisines. I wrote the blog mainly for myself so that I would  remember where I have been and what I did in various places, otherwise things and events tend to blur and coalesce. Space prevented me from putting down much of what I saw and did, but I tried to touch on the main things and I hope they were of passing interest to those who took the trouble to glance at these jottings.

FIN DE BLOG

Rome

The evening before I left Siena I went out for a meal with Sabrina at whose historic appartment, a stone's throw from the Piazza del Campo I was staying in. We started the night with a Campari aperitivo at a trattoria overlooking the piazza then went for a meal of pappardelle alle cinghaile (ribbon pasta with wild boar sauce) and a glass of Orvieto, a light floral white wine from Umbria. It was a great finish to my stay in Siena. I took the train to Rome and spent the afternoon strolling around. The Colosseum was not too far from my hotel and that was my first stop. What a spectacular sight it is with its three levels of arches. One can readily imagine the fierce gladatorial contests that took place in this ancient arena. I continued on to the 12th century Basilica of San Clemente, which was built on top of a 4th century church, and the Basilica di San Giovani, a monumental cathedral founded by the Emperor Constantine in 324 AD.  I finished up by crossing the Tiber via the Ponte Fabricio, a bridge first built in 62 BC to the trendy Trastavere district. I fly back to Oz tomorrow.

Around Siena

I started the day with a visit to Siena's 13th century Duomo, one of Italy's greatest Gothic churches. It has a magnificent marble façade and striking interior  with a beatiful inlaid marble mosaic floor, a gorgeous round stained glass window, and topped with a blue and gold hexagonal dome.  Siena has a lot to offer culturally and I spent the rest of the day visiting places such as the Baptistry withi its lovely baptismal font and the National Picture Gallery, which had masterpieces from the 12th to the 15th century on display. Prominent around Siena is the city symbol of a she-wolf suckling two infants relating to the fable of Romulus and Remus. I head to Rome tomorrow.

Siena

I had an enjoyable bus trip through the rolling hills of the lush Tuscan countryside down to Siena, famous for its Il Palio, the annual wild horse race where riders from the various contradas or town districts compete for the coveted palio or silk banner. The apartment in which I am staying is a stone's throw from the Piazza del Campo, which is undoubtedly the heart of the city, Il Campo, as the irregularly shaped square is known, has a sloping brick surface, which is ideal for lounging on and watching the passing parade. Sitting right on the piazza is the Palazzo Pubblico, the former 13th century Town Hall, which is an important example of civil Gothic architecture. The Palazzo has wonderful wooden concave ceilings and is a treasury of art masterpiecess such as fierce scenes depicting the 12th century pope's battles. There was a chapel dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary with the original wrought iron screen, chandelier and choir stalls from the 15th century. More on Siena in my next post.

Around Florence

I had a most enjoyable few days in Florence. There is so much to see so I will only touch briefly on some of the wonderful places I visited as after a little while cultural fatigue sets in, I had planned a big day of excursions and started early. My first stop, after walking across the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's classic bridge, was the Uffizi Gallery, the world class art museum holding the private treasures of the  Medici Family. The House of Medici came to prominence from the 14th century and was Europe's most powerful and wealthy family until the early 18th century. The collection ranged from ancient Greek scupltures to 18th century Venetian paintimgs. Of particular interest is the Renaissance display. The Uffizi is enormous with some 45 rooms and over 1500 masterpeices to view. The spendor of the rooms filled with works from the likes of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio was a little overwhelming to take in. After the Uffizi I went next door to the Palazzo Vecchio, the former 13th century seat of the Florentine Government, which consisted of a series of lavish apartments created for the Medici clan. I proceeded past the Loggia dei Lanza, a gorgeous 14th century columned square displaying numerous statues to the breathtaking Duomo with its pink, white and green marble façade and crowned with a red-tiled dome. The inside was equally impressive with its colourful mosaics, stained glass windows and enormous pillars. Florence is a wonderful place to wander around and I did just that, admiring the various old churches and other ancient architecture such as the former portals to the city. I finished the day by taking a 4 klm bus ride to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which sits on an elevated hill overlooking Florence and gives spectacular panoramic views of this amazing city. I head to Sienna tomorrow.

San Gimignano

As the Uffici was closed today, Monday, I took an early bus to the medieval walled hill town of San Gimignano. The two most important sights here are the Collegiata, San Gimignano's Romanesque Cathedral, and the Palazzo Communale. The name, Collegiata, comes from the College of priests and monks, who originally cared for and administered it. The outer façade is rather plain, but inside one is struck with a blaze of vivid frescoes covering the ceiling and all the walls. These wonderful frescoes depict scenes from both the Old and New Testaments. Next to the main altar is a very beautiful Renaissance chapel dedicated to Saint Fina, the town's angelic patron saint. The 12th century Palazzo Communale was the former centre of local government and houses not only remarkable frescoes but some superb paintings in classical style from the Sienese and Florentine schools dating from  the 12th to the 15th centuries. The Palazzo also has an extremely high tower accessed by a seemingly never ending heart racing spiral tower, the Torre Grossa, which gives spectacular views of San Gimignano and its multitude of minor towers as well as an endless panorama of the surrounding verdant î Toscana countryside. I spent another couple of hours exploring the town's cobbled alleyways and finished up with the Passigiata alla Mura, a stroll around the fabled outer walll of this historic commune. San Gimignano is noted for its elegant white wine, Vernaccia, and I sampled  a couple of glasses along with a selection of local cheeses at an enoteca or bar, It was just bursting with flowery bouquet and flavour! More on Firenze in my next post.

Florence

I travelled to Florence via Milan on the supetfast Eurostar Italia and checked into my apartment on the southern side of the Arno away from tlhe maddening crowds. I spent the rest of the day getting to know my local area and checking out the Centrale, where such historic sights as the Uffici Galleria of Art, the Palazzo Vechio and the Duomo are located.

Milan

As I was travelling directly to Florence from Como I decided to spend the day looking around nearby Milan. My first stop after arriving at Milano Centrale, an enormous station in white marble, was the Castello Sforzesco,  a gigantic red-brick Renaissance fortress designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Behind the Castle the green Sempione Park is located and at its southern entrance sits a very impressive monument, the Arco della Pace or Arch of Peace. The 1807 neo-classical Arch, crowned with a six horse carriage and modelled on the Arc du Carrosel in Paris, was dedicated to Napoleon when Milan was under Napoleonic rule. After a relaxing stroll through the Park I headed for the Duomo. What a sight!  The construction of the Cathedral in pink marble began in the late 14th century. On top of its exterior 135 spires reach for the heavens and some 3,200 saintly statues guard the perimeter. Inside there are a multitude of brilliant stained glass windows, intricately carved pillars and numerous individual chapels. After the Duomo I stolled through the elegant  iron and glass Galleria Vittorio, one of Milan's finest Shopping Arcades, to the  La Scala Opera House. On the Gallery floor there is a colourful mosaic of a rampant bull. Milanese tradition claims women can avoid bad luck by grinding their heels into the bull's testicles. I was a littled disconcerted to see women enthusiastically lining up to give the bull's cojones a workout. After this unsettling experience I hastened to the trendy, bohemian district of Breda in search of a friendly bar where I could have a cool drink or three.

Lago di Como

Today I took a ride around the translucent green waters of Lake Come by ferry. The scenery is absolutely magnificent with heavily wooded  verdant hills on either side, the occasional mountain streen trickling down into the lake and a plethora of colourful villages scattered along its shoreline. I stopped for a wander around at three of the villages, Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna. Bellagio is the guidebook favourite with its steep stone staircases, elegant villas and trendy boutiques while Menaggio is a very pretty village with a lovely cobblestone central square, which overlooks the lake and affords spectacular views. However my favourite was Varenna with its beautiful floral and plant gardens and pastel coloured villas that seem to defy the laws of physics. It was a very relaxing and memorable day.

Como

In Como I am staying at the Albergo del Duca, a small family inn sitting in the picturesque Piazza Mazzini, which is named after the 18th century politician responsible for the unification of Italy. I`m located right in the heart of Como`s historical centre so I took a stroll around its colourful streets. The Como Duomo is particularly beautiful with a melange of Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and Renaissance styles as its construction began in the 14th century and was not completed until 1740. Inside, the central aisle is lined with gorgeous tapestries while outside, the cathedral is crowned with an octagonal marble dome 75 metres high. After my walk I headed for the waterfront and took the Funicolare or cable car, constructed in 1894, up to the 720 metre high village of Brunate. The 7 minute ride up, ascending at an angle of 60°, afforded breathtaking views of Lake Como. Brunate is a tiny village and apart from the St. Andrea Apostolo Church with its beautiful ceiling frescoes it hasn`t got a lot to offer. So, after descending back to Como, I walked around the lakeside to the stunning Tempio Voltiano or Volta Museum, which was built in 1927 to honour the centenary of the death of Altessandro Volta, the distinguished physicist and inventor of the electric battery. The museum showed the instruments Volta used in his experiments. I continued on around the lakeside promenade past the elegant residences to the Villa Olmo, the beautiful 18th century aristocratic residence where Napoleon stayed during his visit to Como in 1797. It was a joy to walk through its palatial rooms and elegant garden. Tomorrow I'll take a ferry aroumd the lake to see some of the other villages.

En Route

The train ride from Cinque Terre to Lake Como was a visual joy. We travelled along the crescent shaped Gulf of Genoa past colourful seaside villages and through countless tunnels, carved into the mountains. From Genoa the scenery changed as our track headed north through the verdant countryside and past scattered vineyards to Milan, where I changed trains for Como. What a change this elegant, picturesque lakeside town is from Cinque Terre! I enjoyed my stay in Cinque Terre with its quaint villages and spectacular scenery. However its international reputation litterally attracts milling crowds of tourists, especially in summer, and it can become quite stiffling. In contrast, Como is virtually deserted. I`ll tell you more about it in my next post.