NORTHERN ITALY AND VENICE

20/10/17
This morning we are sad to leave the lovely town of Panzano and the wonderful hospitality of Rosalba and family at Podera La Casa.
It really is a stunning area and so much more beautiful and interesting than the postcards and images you see. The people are friendly, the food is fantastic and Gary thinks the wines are pretty good too.
We drive through the scenic hills of lower Tuscany heading towards Rimini on the Adriatic coast it's about a 3 hour drive and we packed a picnic so no rush we just took our time.
The landscape changes from the endless vineyards to forested areas as we cross the Apennine mountain range. We stop at one place just beside the road along the way and the autumn leaves are beautiful, and just forest all around. No one else around just peace and quiet, very nice. The drive takes us pass little farmhouses and sometimes a tiny town that seems to be just in the middle of nowhere.
We see hilltop town in the distance and decide it could be worth a detour, some we have seen make you wonder not only how but why did they build them. I guess a lot were strongholds for the area. This one is called Sant' Agata Feltria. The road we took was very narrow and winding up the hill

but we pressed on and it was worth it.
We had our picnic lunch in a little park and were amused to see some workers pull up in their little truck and get out for lunch with with a carton of small wine bottles. Hope we don't meet them diving down the hill.
The town has a large castle perched on the hilltop and has spectacular views of the valley. It always amazes me how they actually built these places and got all the materials up there. After a quick look around and some great photo opportunities it's time to head towards San Marino for a look around before our final destination for the day, Rimini.
Before we get into San Marino we see a huge junkyard besides the road so we had our stop and have a browse. There is so much we would buy if we could get it home. I had to pull Gary away so we can continue as we want to have time to see a round the castle at San Marino.
It is quite a steep drive up to the castle and there seems to be a lot of haze or fog around so unfortunately the views aren't so good. You have to park outside and walk into the little town area within the castle walls. The administration and government still has offices in here.
We amazed at all the shops the whole way along very street up to the top,mostly selling jewellery, alcohol and chocolates all tax free and I had no idea they were so cheap. If only we had more room and luggage allowance I would have all my Christmas shopping done. We walk to the top and the clouds are rolling in around us as it's so

high up and on such a rocky outcrop, quite amazing.
It's only about 20klm further on to Rimini so we head off so we can get checked in and settled before dinner. It's a hotel for next 3 days and the tiniest room I have seen, bit of a shock from a beautiful farmhouse but we won't be sitting in the room all day.
We walked to the nearby Laura restaurant and had a lovely dinner.
A big place but only a few local people as it is off season. It's right on the beach so we can imagine how busy I would get here over summer. This area very popular with Italian tourists, but must also must be popular with Russians as all the places have the menu written in Russian as well. Strange.

21/10/17
After a nice buffet breakfast, (the only good thing about the hotel) we head into the ancient centre of town and find there are huge markets on. Apparently they are the largest in the region, it was just street after street and we didn't see it all. More locals there than tourists and lots of basic homeware stuff and food as well as lots of winter clothes and shoes. I still managed to get a pair of jeans, 2 handbags and a pair of shoes in the first 10 minutes though. At a cost of 19 euro all up ( about $30) it didn't break the bank. Gary got jeans and a long sleeved shirt but he paid 24 euro. I must smile better.

After a nice coffee overlooking the square we head up the coast to the town of Cattolica, which has an old children's camp built by Mussolini in 1934. It must have been a huge complex in Art Deco/ Marine style. Gary had read about it and seen pictures and as we were so close we thought it was worth looking at. Parts of the buildings are now an aquarium. It is right on the beach and would have been a busy place in its time housing up to 2000.
We drive back to Rimini along the coast road and it is amazing that most of the large hotels and restaurants are all closed up for winter season. I'm not sure when the season re starts but they must make a lot over summer to just close up and walk away for a few months.
They even dismantle the huge Ferris wheel over the break, no wonder we couldn't find it. We thought it would be easy to see at 55 meters high.
After a rest at the hotel we head into town for a bite to eat, there are heaps of choices but we settle for a small cafe and I get a nice burger for a change from the pasta or pizza. Not your McDonalds horrible burger either, a nice one with salad and real meat. Gary has lasagne for a change .(sarcasm)
Early night as we have to get up and organised for our steam train trip to Marradi in the morning. So excited.

22/10/17
Up early and just time for a quick cuppa and

croissant as the restaurant at the hotel doesn't open until 730am. We wanted to make sure we have plenty of time to get a carpark and get to the station. Plenty of carparks and it's pretty quiet at the station, we head to the right platform to find someone to show our tickets to and find our seats. There was a friendly lady waiting for us with our names on a sheet as they had moved us to a different carriage.
At first I thought oh this will be good, but it was for the better, it was what would have been an original first class carriage with the little curtains and better seats even though were still wooden.
We thought they might have added this carriage as the volunteers, railway workers and friends seemed to be in this carriage. They were all friendly although none really understood English and we didn't understand their Italian. A smile always goes a long way.
I'm sure they thought I was a little strange hanging my head out of the window at times but if you are on a steam train you have to get soot in your eyes and wave at the people in stations and crossings.
There was often quite a few people waiting at stations to see the train and filming. They are all probably watching the video saying who was that crazy blonde woman with her heading hanging out.
After a couple of stops to pick up passengers we arrived at Marradi 3 hours later. A quaint village

in the Tuscan hills that comes alive with their chestnut festival every weekend in October.
The local band is there to welcome us and it's really great atmosphere, something we have wanted to do for a long time, we missed out last time as he train books out quickly and it's not that easy trying to communicate from Australia, but I persevered and it's so worth it.
A short walk from the station into the festival and there are people selling chestnuts, wine and local produce all the way along. Most sell the wine direct from large containers about 25 litres or so at a cost of 1 Euro a glass. Inside the festival there are similar vendors with the same prices and heaps of variety of food and products to sample. There are traditional singers, a brass band, and magician for entertainment, but I guess wine at 1 Euro a glass kept most of the adults entertained. We have a nice relaxing day and as we head back to the train there is a band playing in a little square. They were quite good and it was funny to hear them singing songs like My Sharona, House of the Rising Sun and Smoke on the Water in broken English. They played well though.
Back on the train and we settle in for the trip home , it was dark by the time we got back, so that was nice in the carriage with the lights on. We just have a snack in the hotel room for dinner as we are exhausted and we have to pack up and leave tomorrow for our drive to Venice. It should only be about 3 hours but we don't need to rush and like to be able stop if we see something

interesting

23/10/17
A restless night as a storm came through, wind was howling as our room was at the end of an alcove it was making it sound worse than it probably was. A bit of lightning and thunder and rain sounding like to was pelting against the window, but Gary was just sleeping through it all. Up and packing the car before heading to breakfast and hitting the road.
We head up along the coast rather than the freeway but there isn't really a lot to see as most hotels are on the beach and you can't access it or the road is away from the coast a bit. We stop into one beachside town Lido di Spina and it is a ghost town all the shops and hotels are closed up and the streets deserted. There are big bars and restaurants on the beach that hire deck chairs and these must be so busy in summer there is just one after the other all up the beach. Not my idea of a relaxing summer holiday with thousands of other people squashed on a beach. We are the only people on the beach for miles.
Back on our way and the scenery is pretty much small commercial towns, fishing towns and trucks coming and going in every direction. Buses overtaking trucks, cars overtaking buses and trucks, there goes my nerves again.
We head into a huge car park on the edge of Venice to leave the car for a few days and just take a couple of carry on bags with us to our

accommodation in Venice. On to a water taxi and off to meet our hosts at the famous Rialto bridge and they will take us to their unit.
They had no problem picking out the tourists and we head to the unit it's lovely, a good size and everything we could need. It's been very handy having places with a washing machine,nothing worse than sitting around a laundromat on holidays.
After unpacking some stuff and a quick drink we head out for a quick wander around. Last time we were here a short time and it was the Aqua Alta which is high tides and we had to walk on raised wooden walkways as the streets were flooding, so we saw very little.
There are still a lot of tourists around and tour groups , it would be horrible here in the peak season and when it's hot.
We find a fairly quiet place for a light snack for dinner and have a little more of a wander around before heading back for a good night's sleep. The bed has to be more comfortable than the last one, I hope.

24th Oct 2017.
A good night's sleep on a very comfortable bed, we wake up to the sounds of the people setting up market for the morning. The market is only about 50 meters from the apartment but we didn't realise opposite and next door , under the apartments are stores for the fish and produce. They certainly don't try to be quiet even at 430am and you can imagine Italian men having a conversation and

laughing.Maybe it was just me watching them out the window in my nightie, loading everything up on their trolleys they were laughing about. Such busy workers everywhere setting up, getting ready for the day ahead. In a place like Venice it is fascinating watching all the workers on their boats and barges just as we have deliveries to shops by truck.
After a quick cuppa we head out to try a catch a glimpse of the streets and canals before the tourist groups arrive, the sun is just coming up so it is just the workers heading out to catch their ferries.
We manage to get a few good shots especially around the Rialto bridge which is always packed with tourists and it's so nice in the morning light. The short walk back to the apartment and the little pastry shop near us is open so we get some savoury pastries for breakfast. They are delicious as usual.
After breakfast we head off to the ferries to get head out to the island of Murano a short ferry ride across the lagoon. It is famous for its high quality glass makers and there are many businesses where you can watch the process.
It seemed a bit quieter than Venice and it is easy to stroll around, although most of the shops have the same sort of thing, just different colours or styles. Mainly glasses, bowls and vases and small ornaments. I would love to bring some of them back but we are too limited by weight and the cost to freight is more than the items.

We take the long way back on the ferry which goes right around the outside of Venice and gives us a good look at other areas, like the hospital with all its little ambulance boats. We bought a 2 day pass so can hop on and off the ferries as much as we want. They are not tourist ferries just the normal water taxi that carries about 150 people so it gets pretty full at times with workers and nonnas doing the grocery shopping.
We head back to the apartment for dinner at home and a nice rest.

25th October 2017
We head out this morning for a gondola ride, I said I would never do this tourist trap but he did give us 25% discount and I knew I would regret it if we didn't. They are regulated now and have a maximum they can charge so I guess it's better than it was.
The ride takes us through the smaller, narrow canals and it is really quiet, hardly any other boats and it is easy to appreciate the old buildings all around. We go passed Casanova's house and Marco Polo's. Whether they really were theirs or not, it's good to tell the tourists.
After our gondola ride we head to the other side of the island to the area of Giardini, where the hold the biennial show for architecture and art. Unfortunately this year it's the art, so we don't go into the show but the parks around the area are nice and it so much quieter than other parts of Venice. We have a nice lunch snack at a cafe on a

bridge over a little canal. There are more houses and apartments here that have proper gardens and trees and I guess most people who have to live in Venice would prefer to be away from all the tourists.
Back to the apartment for a rest and light dinner as we headed out later to the Venice Jazz Club for something different. It is a short ferry ride and a walk up quite a dark lane, glad there are other people around. It is a very small venue and the owner greets us gets our drink order and also plays the piano. We sit next to a Scottish couple on a short holiday for their 25th anniversary. He plays bagpipes in a band so he is quite into the jazz. It's a nice night out and the water taxi is pretty quiet on the way back so we get a good view of the canals and buildings lit up. Just a little chilly. Time to hit the bed as it's midnight and way past our bedtime. We have to pack up and leave in the morning. Time goes so fast.

26th October 2017
Another delicious breakfast from our favourite little bakery and it's time to get our bags and head to the ferry that take us to the huge car park just off Venice. I hope Gary had a nice break from driving for a few days before we hit the road again. Today is about 180klm so not too far and we have time to call into Verona on the way.
This is supposedly where Romeo and Juliet was based and there is Juliet's balcony you can visit. Could just be another publicity grab, who really knows.

I don't sound much of a romantic I know but hate touristy, commercial places. The town itself is very interesting, so many old buildings, cobbled roads and an amazing Roman arena that still hosts opera events. That would be something amazing to see even if we dont like opera. It's quiet a large town and there are designer shops, large restaurants and tourists shops everywhere. Back to the crazy motorway and we continue our journey to our apartment in Palazzo Monte Oliveto near Monzambano. Which is about 15klm south of Lake Garda.
On arrival we are greeted by another friendly dog and as our keys are left out for us we make our way to our lovely home for the next 4 nights.
It's lovely and peaceful here and the apartment is very comfortable it is all family run,the hostess is their daughter and she pops over to great us let us know about the area and their farm.
I will attach a write up about the history of the farm. It must have been a grand place. They have put considerable time and I'm sure money restoring the villa. They now mainly grow vegetables and kiwi fruit that they sell at the markets and supply grapes to be made for wine.
We have a quick walk around the gardens, they are not your English type gardens all manicured, it is a working farm. Heaps of autumn leaves for me though. We meet another dog and a cat and Lolita the horse.
We meet the owner and he asked if I speak Italian or French or German when I say we are Australian

he just laughs and says he has no hope understanding. But we can always understand the basics and he shows us the little church on their property and that his grandmother is buried in. It's quite beautiful inside.
He goes off on his chores and then comes back with a bottle of wine and freshly picked grapes and zucchinis, we love Italian hospitality.
It's spaghetti Bolognese for dinner tonight so I added the zucchinis into that for a change and it was delicious. I feel so relaxed and at home in the country cooking with lovely fresh ingredients. Maybe a tree change coming on??

27th October 2017
Today we are heading to Padua to a huge car show, it's a pity we couldn't visit on our way through as we went right passed but it didn't start until today. Breakfast is served in what was the central reception room where they would have had dancing and dinners.
It's a beautiful room with high ceilings and a large arched window looking down the long driveway .Breakfast is wonderful, set out so nice, lots of fresh fruits, cereal ,breads, jams and a a lovely strudels made by the mother. I don't usually eat strudel for breakfast but why not. It is really good, especially with a nice cappuccino.
We head out to the freeway and find it's not quite as busy and a lot less trucks than yesterday. That makes me happy. Gary just goes with the flow, he doesn't let the crazy drivers around him upset

him. Some drivers seem to fly passed and Gary said the speed limit is 130klm, I said I wouldn't want to be going that speed and he said Oh I think we already are. Bugger there goes my nerves again. He does slow down a little though to keep me happy!
We arrive in Padua and find the road we wanted to the Expo grounds is blocked by police and obviously everyone wants to go that way so we just follow the crowd and find a park not too far away.
Inside it is huge, there are cars of all ages,parts and memorabilia. Gary is enjoying seeing lots of cars we don't get in Australia. There is huge car auction, but we didn't see when that was on. There are lots of cars for sale and we see a Dino Ferrari with a nice price of 420,000 Euro about $750,000, unfortunately we don't have that on us today. We didn't get to all of the stands it was so big and we just got too tired walking around. It's about an hour's drive back so we head for our temporary home.
Back home to our country villa and as it's the servants day off I guess I better cook dinner. It's chicken schnitzel and salad tonight. Gary is happy to find that although there are no english channels on tv he can watch the F1 live. Can't escape it. I do miss seeing the news occasionally but it is nice to chill out or go for a walk instead.

28th October 2017
Another delicious breakfast to start our day and then we drive into Borghetti, not far away. It is

amazing little village behind a fortified causeway on the river where they used water wheels for grinding their flour. Most of the old wall and archway leading into the village remain in tact and the causeway is still used by cars today.
We continue on to Valeggio sol Mincio another small town and their local market is in on. We saw the owners of our accomodation there selling their produce and they seem to have a roaring trade going. There is a large castle overlooking the valley, in line with the causeway that was fortified to control the traffic on the river and of course collect taxes.
It is amazing all the engineering and labour that went into all these buildings and mostly to keep their share of the land and protect the villages around them.
We keep on driving up to Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, only another 20klms or so and find it very busy. There are so many large hotels and tourists spots like Gardaland and Movie world .Not really what we imagined, it probably is more picturesque further around the lake and maybe we were spoilt by beautiful Lake Como in the quiet season on our previous trip.
We walk to the tiny fortified town of Sirmione and Castle Scaligera that is in a tiny peninsula that juts into the lake It's hard to believe that people live within the castle walls and drive across a moat to get home. They must hate the tourists as they squeeze their BMWs and Audis passed all the crowds. But I guess they choose to

live there.
Time to head back to the peace and quiet of our lovely villa. It's takeaway pizza tonight as we are both too tired to be bothered cooking and cleaning up. It's the local family run shop and it reminds me of the smells from Oakleigh pizza many years ago! Yum.

29 October 2017
Once again a wonderful breakfast by our lovely hosts, it's good we are doing so much walking or we would have put on weight eating all the delicious food we have had on this trip. We are usually doing about 6-10klms a day and some days our bodies really know it. This getting old is not always fun.
We head to a tiny village near us called Castellano Lagusello. There are gardens and a heart shaped lake which are privately owned and opened on weekends. We didn't go in but we did climb the steep wooden steps to the church bell tower. It's a great view and I'm glad the bells didn't ring while we were up there.
We have slow drive around the country roads and head back to the villa for a relaxing afternoon taking walks around the farm and giving Lolita the horse and apple or two.
We discover not far from the main villa a large grass covered mound and on closer inspection see that it's all made of ancient bricks and looks like an old Roman origins. There was a roman villa here previously and its base was used for the

current building. We couldn't look right in as there was crates and stuff at the entrance and I was worried Gary was going to fall in a well or something. He's like a curious cat. Our hostess asked her father about it and he said it was very very old probably about 2000 years and had always been used to throw rubbish in. Amazing the treasures in your yard, that because they have always been there have no importance. We would have loved to cleaned it out, get some lights and have a really good look inside.Maybe one day the local historians will want to look at it.
Time to start to pack up as we head towards Genova tomorrow for 2 nights, than our 4 night cruise.