It was quite hard to leave the villa: it was such a perfect spot that saying goodbye to it was quite a wrench. Couldn't we stay just another couple of days? After squeezing our cases into the back of the car, we set off for Arrone, a point about half way between the villa and Rome. On the way, we stopped off in Assisi. As we approached, we could see that the massive Basillica di Francesco d'Assisi dominates one 'end' of the town. Parking well below the level of the streets we would be visiting, we start our ascent by stairs then escalators until we are delivered onto the street. Assisi is a busy town, its population swelled by tourists and pilgrims, St Francis being both an important saint within the Catholic Church and, therefore, the main reason this town is a major tourist attraction in this part of Italy. Consequently, the visitors to the tomb of St Francis below the basillica are a mixture of tourist gawkers (me) and the deeply pious, the latter stopping to pray in the basillica before praying at the site of the tomb. With the numbers of people in the small crypt, it is quite claustrophobic and I am glad when we emerge into the bright light and sit for while on a cool stone bench. As we leave the basillica, we see that a couple are having their wedding photos taken against its magnificent facade. How lucky are they to have such a setting as this? After the obligatory ice creams (gelati - yay!), we head back to the car park. Unfortunately, we choose the wrong route and end up having to tramp up a murderous incline in the midday heat. I return to the car sweaty and a bit grumpy.
We set off for one more stop, the small town of Spello to see the frescoes in the church that featured in an episode of 'Unpacking Italy'. We park outside the centre of the town and proceed on foot and, yes, it is uphill all the way. When we reach the church, we are confronted with a small sign that explains that the church closed (for lunch, presumably) and will reopen at 3.30pm, giving us almost an hour to wait. We decide that we will pass on the frescoes and make our way to the accommodation in Arrone. We arrive in the centre of the town and puzzle as to where the guest house is: the sat nav is not giving any clear signals as to where we should go. Two of our number head off up a very narrow street which seemed promising and, a while later come back reporting that the guest house is up there, but there is no parking space: we will have to lug cases up the (steep) hill. But of course - all uphill today! After throwing the cases into the room, E and I head out to look for restaurants. My first choice turns out to be a little way outside town and would involve driving, so that is a 'no'. The second choice, we can't find: we seem to being sent onto a small housing estate, an unlikely place to put a restaurant, so that is also out. That leaves really only one restaurant in the town, indicated by a little hand painted sign that says 'Dream King'. It's an unlikely name for a restaurant but, hey, beggars can't be choosers. It turns out to be very, very good food. We are the only customers and the place is in serious need of a makeover, but the bit that counts - what turns up on our plates - is done really well. And to top it all, the bill at the end is tiny! We head back to the guest house but, before going to bed, E and I go further up the road, past the guest house and emerge into the old walled town that sits on top of the hill. The narrow cobbled streets, the side arches that hide lines of ancient houses decorated with baskets and tubs of flowers are all slightly surreal, like something from a film set. A nice find.
The next morning, we head for the Cascata delle Marmore, a spectacular set of waterfalls created by the Romans and now the tallest man-made falls in Europe. They really are a pretty sight. They do not have the vast size and power of Niagara but they have their own magic. We go near to the top of the falls and get very wet. I had scoffed at the plastic ponchos being sold down below and only now do I get it: they are not for rain showers, they are for the constant fine spray that creates beautiful mini rainbows while soaking everything around it. The camera, therefore, spends most of the visit packed in its case. When we are headed back to the car park, E notices that she has lost the lens cap for her camera. I suggest she retraces her steps for a while and see if it turns up. She does so and returns, relieved, about ten minutes later with the cap. Camera loss - Strike 1.
Returning to Rome, we drop the car back at the airport and take a cab into Rome to our hotel that is conveniently situated just round the corner from The Vatican City, the site we will be visiting on Tuesday. On the Monday, Paul and Dawn go to visit the Forum while E and I take a trip around the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Piazza de Navone. The Pantheon is a spectacular space, the huge dome with the window at its apex that allows a shaft of sunlight to pierce the space below - very dramatic! The Piazza is also an amazing space, packed with sculpted gods and monsters that decorate a series of small fountains. As for the Steps and the Trevi… scaffolding! The Trevi Fountain is dry and almost completely boarded up - nothing to see there - and the Spanish Steps head upwards and climax in a massive advert hanging from the scaffolding that conceals the crowning monument and buildings behind it. Slightly disappointing. Less disappointing were the clerical socks that I got from a religious outfitters near to the Pantheon! Fit for a cardinal - one pair red and the other a lovely purple. In the afternoon, we decided to have a beer. There was a bar next to the hotel with three tables outside and that seemed a good place to refresh after the days tramping round. We had a couple of beers then decided to drop the cameras off in the hotel before heading out to explore a bit more. The next morning, E realised that her camera is nowhere to be found in the hotel room. Mine is still there so theft is unlikely. The only place where it could be is the little bar a few doors up and what is the liklihood of it having been handed in? After breakfast I checked that the bar was open and, on finding it was, Paul and E headed out to see if anything had been handed in. A short while later, a very, very, very relieved E returned with the camera: someone had noticed it sitting there by one of the outside tables and had handed it to the barman! Camera loss - Strike 2.
On the Tuesday, we had our guided tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Capel and St Peter's Basillica. All three contain sights that are jaw-dropping. The paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine dazzle first in terms of sheer scale, then in their beauty and finally, thanks to a very informative explanation by our guide, in their meaning and significance. The paintings on the walls are not exactly poor either! The sheer opulance of the decoration of the corridors of the Vatican Museum stunned me (albeit there was a fair sprinkling of scaffolding present - especially for us!), while the size and scale of St Peter's leaves the mind reeling. The contrast between what is contained in these three buildings and the interior of the catherdral on Mont St Michel in France is startling: the finery, the splendour, the wealth displayed in the former versus the stark white walls of the latter. Which is the greater monument to faith? Outside St Peter's we found a Swiss Guardsman or two and, of course, had to photograph them. I think the Swiss, back in the day, had rather a reputation for producing fearsome mercenary fighters, hence the choice of them to guard the pontiff. Times change, don't they! As we walked to the far side of St Pete's Square, E noticed that the detachable viewfinder for her camera was missing. Again, retracing our steps, we found it by the barrier where we had photographed the guardsmen. Relief etc. Camera loss - Strike 3: you're outta here!!
So that was it. Amazing sights, some great food and wine (apart from the 'medium' Orvieto bought in error - ugh!), a lovely villa stay and some great memories. Oh, and by some miracle, E still has a complete camera!
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