Category: Europe

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16-20 June: Arrivederci Italy, Zdravo Croatia!

Author: Mr A

Location: Ancona, Italy & Split and Stobreč, Croatia

Monday: It was time to board our second ferry of the trip from Ancona, on the east coast of Italy, and head over to Split in Croatia. We had absolutely loved Italy. The people, their ready smiles, their amazing food and wine. What would Croatia be like? A first visit for both of us. What adventures awaited us?

Getting our motorhome onto the ferry was the first one. I followed the somewhat ambiguous gesticulations of a rather excitable young man as he guided me on. Not really sure what was happening, he then had me doing a 5 point turn and then reversing down the length of the pitch black hold of the ferry! Thankfully I’m finding that the more of these little challenges I have to tackle, the less stressed I get about them…Catherine likes that as well 🙂

Boarding the ferry…no idea what awaited us at this point…
Reversing all over, Truffy in place for the journey

As it was a 11 hour overnight trip we had booked a cabin. I had read the web site last night and was looking forward to “the luxurious cruise liner” experience they had promised.

Our cell…I mean cabin…

Well the toilet seat wasn’t even attached and promptly fell off. The curtain rail and curtains followed. The mould and peeling paint didn’t exactly call out 5 star. Like so many situations where there is limited competition, with a duoply running on on this route, it was appalling.

Up on deck as we pull away from the Italian coast
The sun sets on Italy
The best sunset this trip (so far)

Anyway, with a beautiful sunset wishing us arrivederci to Italy we went for dinner, and had our first poor meal since out last ferry across from the UK to France. Self-catering has to be the way to go on ferries we have concluded.

Sunrise over Croatia as we pull into port

Tuesday: We arrived at our campsite after a short drive through the uninspiring suburbs of Split, with graffiti covering every wall, and rubbish strewn everywhere. This is a city that swells to a million tourists in the summer season. Where is that revenue going? Certainly not back into cleaning and infrastructure. A little bit jaded after our poor night and disappointing first impression of the city, we walked down through the campsite and got our first glimpse of the setting we were in. Wow!

The beach was stony but the view just spectacular with the barren mountains providing a stark backdrop to the bright blue shimmering of the water. In we dived….well to be honest it was a rather a slower process of adjusting to the “fresh” temperature of the ocean after the 30 degree pool we had been using all last week!

We dug out our inflatable kayaks from the depths of our motorhome, as this would be the first time they had seen the light of day since making the trip over with us from Australia.

Exploring the little harbour on the other side of the bay
Admiring the incredible backdrop which looks all the more grand from the water
Mrs A heads off to disturb a flock of juvenile gulls
With plenty of sea life in these waters, fishing is a popular pastime

We headed off and its hard to describe the exhilaration you feel to be out on the water under your own steam, free to potter about where you want. We headed south round the foreshore, with a flock of sea-birds rather annoyed at our intrusion through their watery paradise. We spent a few hours exploring the coast, and it was a fabulous introduction to Croatia.

Wednesday: The next day was a bit of a repeat button with a swim and a paddle, this time north back towards the city. It’s certainly a very busy part of the world at this time of the year, but out on the water in your own little bubble, it was serene.

Perfect azure waters as we paddle up the coast
Kids spending time snorkelling and jumping off rocks
Mrs A cannot resist a swim in the 25 degree waters
Busy beaches, despite it not yet being the school holidays

We spent the afternoon packing to ready for an early departure tomorrow down on another ferry to Dubrovnik, but then rewarded ourselves with dinner at the restaurant on the campsite.

Waterside table for dinner

Look at this view…and the food was pretty amazing as well. I opted for the local speciality of black cuttlefish risotto, served with bread fired in a pizza oven. Catherine tucked into freshly made gnocchi with fava (broad) beans…a new favourite of hers.

Fine dining

Alas no wine – we are trying to clock up a few AFD’s (Alcohol Free Days) before the next onslaught starting in Dubrovnik!

Thursday: The morning dawned once again with clear blue skies, and a 28 degrees by 7am…another warm one. Our taxi arrived and we were off back to the port…and realised we had forgotten our precious mifi device with our generous data SIM in it. I left Catherine at the ferry and thanks to our super great taxi driver managed a dash back to collect it and made the ferry just as it was boarding.

Dubrovnik here we come!

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14-16 June: Final days in Italy

Author: Mrs A

Location: Loro Piceno, San Ginesio, Sirolo, Ancona, Le Marche, Italy

Friday: Our friends Karen and Stuart left early for their flight back to the UK, leaving the rest of us recovering from the night before, chilling by the pool and generally relaxing. After lunch we jumped into the car and drove to San Ginesio, about a 20 minute drive from Loro Piceno.

San Ginesio was greatly impacted by the 6.6 magnitude earthquake that hit this region in 2016, and has sadly not yet recovered. There is a lot of debate at civic level regarding the types of materials to be used in the rebuilding as well as a lack of funds being distributed. Signs posted by the few remaining locals around the town square displayed their frustration at the lack of progress in rebuilding.

The church in the square covered in scaffolding – the sheet hung in the background displays a message asking for rebuilding to commence now!

Walking around the town which was once a bustling gem of a historical centre, it feels more like a ghost town, with closed shops, empty buildings reinforced with scaffolding, wire and wood, and hardly a single soul to be seen.

Putting up all these reinforcements would have been quite a feat
A precarious looking tower
Views from the top of the village

There were some signs of life, with the occasional sound of renovation, drilling and machinery behind the hoardings, and the local football pitch being relaid. But otherwise it felt like a sad place, somewhere where the heart and soul had been removed, abandoned shops and buildings still advertising menus and events with dates long past. We left hoping that something is done soon to relieve these poor communities and help bring them back to life while maintaining the history which makes these areas so unique.

There is still a heart here…it just beats slower than before…

Friday night was spent out in Loro Piceno – the town comes to life with its bars and restaurants, live music livening up the lanes.

Saturday: As our final day in Loro Piceno it was a relaxing one, with a lot of pool time and even a chance to catch up on some reading. Mark and I left John and Catriona in charge of the house and went off to do some shopping with Mel and Barney…some new clothes purchased (the all important new bikini!) and a lovely light lunch on our way home.

Looking across the well used pool towards the village of Loro Piceno

That evening, some of Mel and Barney’s English neighbours drove over for a barbecue. It was interesting hearing their stories of the earthquake impact – they too are still awaiting funds to restore their home and business. Their Italian cooking school will have to wait.

Barney finally fires up the BBQ – only took him a week! 😉
L-R: Lucy, John, Mike, Mel, Catriona, Barney, Mr A, Mrs A

It was lovely to meet more people from around this area and hear their perspective on life in Italy.

Sunday: John and Catriona left to fly back to the UK, while Mark and I took our chance to do some final washing before we moved on our way after lunch.

We farewelled Barney and Mel, secure in the knowledge we have made some very lovely friends there, ones we hope we remain in touch with and see again in the not too distant future. We are so grateful for them opening their hearts and home to us and our friends this past week, their generosity on all accounts.

And so we jumped into Truffy the Hymer and drove off down the motorway towards Ancona.

Our first stop was Decathlon to buy a table – we decided that eating off our laps and the odd box was not the thing to do. The princely sum of €14 bought us a table that fits neatly in our garage.

From there we drove to our campground for the night. We’d selected a location just south of Sirolo, a cliff top village I had read about. As soon as we were settled we got out the bikes and went for a ride along the seafront and up to the village.

Lots of boats out on this Sunday afternoon

Overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Sirolo used to be a castle in medieval times, but now is a very pretty bustling village. There are plenty of the usual tourist shops, but generally everything is beautifully presented, flowers everywhere and lots of shady trees to cool those who have hiked up the cliffs (or ridden their eBike!) to the viewing points.

The village retains the layout of the ancient medieval castle with the same laneways closed within the fortified walls. One of the ancient towers remains. Cycling down the narrow lanes you could feel the atmosphere of an ancient medieval village.

Well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Monday: We departed and headed a short way up the coast to Ancona. We had a few hours to kill before we were to catch our ferry to Croatia, so parked up along the coast at the war memorial for a few hours. We were grateful for the cooling sea breeze and fabulous views as we whiled away the hours before we left.

Stormy skies behind the WW1 memorial, paid for by the Ancona community

Parc Regionale del Cono – can anyone spot Truffy?

We reflected on our time in Italy – we had expected it to be full of crazy drivers and pickpockets, and instead found people full of warmth, always a smile, and roads which were not at all stressful. The food and wine has been delicious and affordable, and scenery just beautiful. Italy is definitely on our list to return to, there is so much more to discover.

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13 June: Roman ruins brought to life

Author: Mrs A

Location: Loro Piceno & Urbisaglia, Le Marche, Italy

Thursday: For hundreds of years many of the ancient Roman buildings in this region remained covered by soil, a combination of earthquakes, floods, plant growth and decomposition and invertebrates gradually hiding away the buildings, artwork, pottery, coins, statues and jewellery which were left abandoned.

Barney had organised a private tour of the nearby Roman artefacts and a live archaeological dig with a local historian and guide…absolutely fascinating and definitely one of the most interesting things we have done.

We met up with Leonardo at a nearby village and commenced our tour.

Leonardo, our private guide, passionately shares stories of the Roman Empire
A scale model of the temple – Leonardo explains where we are standing

Urbs Salvia (nowadays called Urbisaglia) was settled around the end of the 1st century BC and unearthed by archaeologists during the 1800s. Our guide, Leonardo, took us around what was a large temple explained how a female archaeologist ignored directions from colleagues to dig in an area where artefacts had already been found, and decided to follow her instincts and dig here. She found one of the most important temples in Italy.

Many of the wall paintings are still visible, decorated with lions hunting and killing antelopes, bears, wolves and other powerful symbols, demonstrating the strength and how far and wide the Roman Empire had travelled and conquered. So much is excellently preserved, with bricks imprinted with the manufacturer’s name still clearly visible and mosaic tiles that could have been laid in the last decade.

Perfectly clear a thousand years after being manufactured – how much of what we see today will still be here in a thousand years?
Mosaic tiling and evidence of a floor beneath

The stories kept on coming, with cattle skeletons under a collapsed row of archways showing that animals were once kept in this area, probably killed during an earthquake.

A collapsed row of archways, likely to have been earthquake damage
A Roman side street – in better condition than many roads in the UK we travelled on!

The tour then continued to the nearby amphitheatre, in which there would have been gladiator fights, both males and females – women fighting ‘dwarves’ a favourite of the community apparently! It is estimated this amphitheatre (in its original state) would have seated more than 7,600 spectators.

Our little private tour group admiring the amphitheatre
You can imagine the gladiators entering down this slope
Spectators would have come in through these archways to take their seats

Tales were told of how one of the most gruesome of events held here would have been how the arena would have been flooded and a boat full of slaves or prisoners floated on, with the aim of tipping it over and drowning them in front of the audience. Apparently there is not much they enjoyed more than watching wild beasts or people die in front of them. Other than sex of course, with orgies and prostitution common among the Romans.

Our next destination was the in progress dig, with a mixture of volunteers, academics and students from a variety of universities involved. We turned up just moments after they had unearthed a Roman coin…it was fascinating to wonder when the last time this was held in a human hand, and by whom.

The coin is discovered by the dig team

The coin is fairly corroded from the use of fertilisers and suchlike in farming practices here

From here, we drove a short way up to the hilltop village of what is now Urbisaglia. Leonardo unlocked a door at the side of the road, and we entered an underground chamber. This was the water system, designed by a slave and built by more slaves, with two tunnels to reduce the water pressure and overflows to maintain a pocket of fresh air to keep the water pure. So much of the practices invented by Romans is still in practice today. These tunnels were only discovered in the 1940s and are in excellent condition.

Discovered in 1947, this doorway has been built to allow access to the tunnels
Water was gravity fed to here from a spring in the mountains. They are in excellent condition other than some limestone build up
Our usual stunning views across the countryside as we climb into the village

We continued on into Urbisaglia, and to the fortification Mr A and I had cycled to last week. This time we were allowed inside as Leonardo had the key. He told us stories of those that lived here (only about 12 people, all soldiers) with the purpose of protecting the area from invaders, It certainly had magnificent views.

Looking out across the rooftops
Our furry companion was impressed but warm
Leonardo’s passion for history and stories never wanes
Looking out across the countryside

I would highly recommend you do something like this if you’re visiting this area or anywhere with significant Roman history, it really brings the region to life.

We returned to Barney and Mel’s home for a relaxing afternoon before preparing for the evening. Two of our UK guests, Stuart and Karen, are off home tomorrow so we were to have a final group dinner out at a hotel restaurant on the other side of the valley.

Looking out across the valley towards the hotel

We had been looking out at the hotel all week, admiring the bright lights as it sits on top of a hill almost directly opposite where we are staying in Loro Piceno.

Dressed up and ready to roll, Aperol Spritz before we head off

Once over at the hotel, we enjoyed Prosecco while we ordered our food. What a gorgeous setting for a dinner.

Gorgeous evening light
A poolside table on the terrace
Fantastic food, everything delicious

A great spot to watch the sun go down

As we retired for the night we farewelled Stuart and Karen who were planning to hit the road at 7am…we all knew we would be unlikely to be awake to see them off!

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11 – 12 June: Vineyards and beaches of Le Marche

Author: Mrs A (yes, again, Mr A having a break!)

Location: Loro Piceno and Porto San Georgio , Le Marche, Italy

Tuesday: After all the birthday celebrations the night before it was a slow start to the day, mostly spent in the pool clearing the heads. We had a delicious lunch and then piled into the cars to visit one of the many vineyards nearby.

The one Barney and Mel had selected was one of the grandest around, with amazing buildings housing artwork and incredible sculptures. Il Pollenza is a relatively young winery, having been growing grapes in the region for just 20 years, but in that time they have built up quite an estate of renovated 16th and 18th century houses and 70 hectares of vineyards.

Driving up to the estate is quite a contrast to what you might see in Australian wine districts, with no signage advertising the vineyard or tasting. In fact it was lucky we had Mel navigating otherwise we would not have found it at all! The tasting had been booked in advance and included a tour of the cellars and bottling facility.

Beautiful vineyards set amongst the Macerata Hills
One of the many mansions on the 270 acre estate
Renovated 16th century building where the wine is cellared and bottled

Count Brachetti-Peretti bought the vineyard as a hobby, but clearly is extremely well off. This hobby is treated fairly seriously and he has invested in the best of everything. You can literally see the quality in all of the renovated buildings and equipment as you tour around.

Carefully temperature controlled barrels
Learning more about the processes

Bottles ready to be boxed up
Catriona is tempted by a pretty label

We tasted four wines, none of which suited our palettes, nor our wallets. When we compare the quality of the wine to that which we tasted at Murola at around half the price, we decided not to buy anything we had tried.

Our first tasting is poured

Karen and Catriona taking the tasting very seriously

We left with a bottle of Rosata Prosecco.

The girls colour coordinated without any planning!

…and here we have a lovely bronze horse statue!

Wednesday: It was time to have our first experience of the Adriatic Sea as we left the beautiful countryside and drove for lunch at the coast, aiming for Porto San Giorgio, a coastal settlement. One of Mel and Barney’s English neighbours had recommended Ristorante Chalet Quadrifoglio to eat at.

It is one of many restaurants along the coast, set behind the sandy beaches, specialising in seafood (though offering a handful of alternatives for the non fish eaters).

We had an absolute feast, choosing a starter of mixed hot and cold seafood, which kept on coming. Once we had consumed mussels, olive fish cakes, grilled razor shell, scallops, anchovies and more we were quite full, and still had the main dish to come!

A glass or two of white wine was consumed

Lots of stories and laughter accompanied our seafood feast

Barney and Mel
Our waitress serving up a local speciality, Monkfish – delicious

After lunch we wandered down the the water’s edge. Unlike Australian beaches which stretch along bay after bay, often deserted, those here are full of sun beds and umbrellas which you pay to use – giving you access to toilets, showers and changing rooms. It really made us appreciate our local beach in Sydney!

We had to experience the water of course, which at around 24 degrees was refreshing and rather lovely for a jump in the waves.

Catriona and John are surprised by a wave crashing into them from behind…oops, did I not mention it was coming?!
Stuart and Karen head for shallower water so they don’t get unexpectedly wet
Our lovely hosts looking very summery
And Mr & Mrs A
Catriona and Stuart are first into the water
Looking north up the beach

We had a good hour down at the water before heading on back to Loro Piceno via Murola Vineyard to stock up on supplies.

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10 June: Catriona has a birthday to remember

Author: Mrs A

Location: Loro Piceno, Le Marche, Italy

Monday: Catriona’s birthday is the event that had brought us all together on this occasion, and what a place to celebrate. Our friends’ spectacular house and grounds we are staying in has ever changing views over the the valley, buzzards and swallows constantly soaring overhead. At night, fireflies light up the undergrowth and there is a nightingale that sings beautifully after dark.

The terrace and pool have views to die for, and there are multiple zones to sit in and relax, surrounded by beautifully groomed gardens and an olive grove below.

A house and pool with a multi million dollar view

We had a lovely birthday breakfast for Catriona with strawberries and yoghurt, keeping it healthy in anticipation of more delights to come, allowing Catriona to open presents and cards and Mr A to read out a poem he had composed, in special birthday tradition.

After a little refreshing pool time I accompanied Catriona, John, Stuart and Karen back down to Abbadia di Fiastra to show them around there. We explored the church with its frescos dating back to the 1500s before taking a stroll along the avenue of mulberry trees and looping back around the fields.

The walkers

Birthday girl enjoying the serenity

Very quiet on a Monday morning

Returning for a light lunch it was a relaxing afternoon had before G&T o’clock.

Mel and Catriona

G&T to start…

Mr & Mrs A enjoying the view

Full team: Barney, Karen, Mel, Mr A, Catriona, John, Mrs A and Stuart
Karen and Stuart enjoying the view

Mark and I had bought Catriona a magnum of champagne from Pannier when we were in France, which she kindly shared with us all (given she would have to abandon all her clothes in order to take it home!) – deliciously good memories there!

Birthday girl with champagne

Before long it was time for Catriona’s birthday dinner, cooked by a private chef at the house. We don’t think you could find a better restaurant than this!

  • Full menu:

    • Warm asparagus salad, lemon dressing with crispy pancetta and crutons

    • Pappardelle, pork ragu with mushrooms and fresh herbs

    • Roasted beef with mixed vegetables

    • Chocolate texture with cherry compote and roasted hazelnuts

    Catriona’s private chef, Fabrizio preparing our entree of asparagus

    Fine views across the valley

    Surrounded by views and flowers, the table is set for dinner

    The village lighting up behind us
    Amazing menu in a great setting

    The fine wine flowed and the music got louder…there was dancing and laughter and I think Catriona’s next decade was entered into in fine style!

    Fabrizio joins us for a post cheffing beer before he heads off
    Catriona, Karen and I boogie on the ‘dance floor’
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    8 – 9 June: Enjoying a little piece of paradise with friends

    Author: Mrs A

    Location: Loro Piceno, Le Marche, Italy

    Saturday: It was a dusty start to the morning after a fun Friday night out with Mel and Barney in Loro Piceno, with delicious food followed by dancing to a live band on the cobbled streets.

    Exploring the streets of Loro Piceno
    May explain the sore head on Saturday morning…Varnelli – similar to ouzo…
    Fabulous cover band at La Taverna, singing a wide variety of songs in English

    Mel had booked a haircut for me in a local village, and with none of the staff speaking English I was pleased Google Translate worked well enough for me to get the cut I wanted and not end up with a shaved head!

    Our friends from the UK arrived early afternoon, successfully finding the house and enjoying a light lunch as we all caught up on news.

    In the evening Mel and Barney had booked us a table at a local restaurant, Casa Azzurra. It is set around a pretty courtyard, with delicious food and wine.

    Pink Prosecco to commence the evening
    Enjoying our aperitif
    Casa Azzurra

    Sunday: The eight of us piled in to two cars and headed up to Mount Sibillini National Park, a hour’s drive away. It was a warm day, around 35 degrees in the valley, but as we climbed we were relieved as the temperature dropped to the late 20s.

    Our first stop was at Lago di Fiastra (Lake Fiastra), the main reservoir for the region. The turquoise waters look quite striking, surrounded by mountains and beaches. There were quite a few people swimming in the water and picnicking on the shore.

    John enjoying the view in a field of wildflowers
    Karen, Mel and Stuart enjoying the view

    Many of the buildings in this area are still damaged from the two major earthquakes in 2016. On the winding road up the mountains there was extensive evidence of work done to shore up the cliffs and prevent rockfalls and landslides, and many buildings remained abandoned, shored up by steel cables and wooden braces.

    Church and buildings unsuitable for occupation post earthquake

    We continued a short way up the mountains to Rifugio di Tribbio, a lovely rustic restaurant Mel and Barney had found. What a gem! There’s no way you would stumble across this as a casual visitor without the local knowledge. There we feasted on three generous courses and two litres of wine for the grand cost of about €160 between the eight of us (AU$33/£18 a head). We sat outside on a bench table with great views across the mountains.

    Views of the nearby ruins of Magalotti castle

    After lunch we wound our way up the mountains even further, found a shady parking spot and headed off for a walk. It’s a glorious time of year in the mountains, with wildflowers in every corner.

    Wild peonies (Paeonia officinalis) growing on a limestone slope
    Every square metre is covered in flowers – pinks, mauves, purples, yellows…so pretty
    Lovely orchids
    Wild Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus)

    We did a lovely circuit walk – steep on the way up and blissfully downhill on the return loop, helping us burn a few lunchtime calories and enjoy the clean mountain air.

    Wondering whether the last glass of wine was wise!
    The walkers – minus Barney – L-R Mrs A, Mr A, Catriona, John, Stuart, Karen and Mel
    Looking back at the lowlands which look rather hilly when you’re down there!

    We drove back down the mountains and into Loro Piceno for an evening cocktail at La Cantina, a bar with a terrace boasting amazing views over the valley and out towards Mel and Barney’s house. We then headed home for an early night in preparation for celebrating Catriona’s big birthday tomorrow, the reason for this gathering of friends.

    Enjoying the views and drinks
    Catriona tries out a swing chair
    Karen and Catriona try out their first Aperol Spritz
    Beers for the boys – Stuart
    John
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    5-7 June: Our introduction to Le Marche

    Author: Mr A

    Location: Abbadia di Fiastra, Le Marche, Italy

    Wednesday: We have friends of friends who have kindly invited us and some of our friends (with it so far?) to stay with them in eastern Italy in the region of Le Marche (pronounced lay markay). To be honest, until they gave us their address we had no idea where that was, or even pronounce it. Well now we do and what a find it has been.

    Le Marche doesn’t roll off the tourist tongue like Tuscany, and the thankfully the coaches aren’t rolling down the streets just yet in this region…. We arrived via the excellent west to east route along SS77. A dual carriageway with tunnel after tunnel bored through the mountains that run in a chain down this part of central Italy.

    We were making for a campsite our friends had suggested in the grounds of an old abbey and country park near to their village. We had given ourselves a couple of days to explore the area and get things prepared for the onslaught before everyone else arrived.

    We arrived to find a beautifully near deserted camping area, with only a couple of other vans there. We picked our spot and had just set up the chairs…as a motorhome drove right next to us completely blocking our view. I gave him my best evil eye and exaggerated “what the ….” shrug…he moved off when Catherine joined in! She’s a terror…

    Time for lunch

    So with view restored we were soon visited by a young cat who was clearly Italian given his chattiness and general exuberance! He was to become our constant companion over the next two days..,well until someone else pulled up he thought might feed him…

    There goes our last tin of tuna…

    It was time for our customary exploration on two wheels. What a ride we had, as we came round corner after corner with a new vista of perfectly green fields opening up…and the odd snow capped mountain! This was cycling heaven.

    Fields of spinach

    We made our way through the park, exploring Roman ruins, admiring the bird life, and smelling the wild flowers.

    Thursday: The next day we went further afield through several of the nearby villages. And not a tour bus in sight…

    Yes, still snow up there
    More fields of poppies looking towards more hilltop villages…

    The castle in Colmurano
    A couple of happy cyclists

    in the late afternoon we headed out again, I had spotted a winery within striking distance of the bikes.

    Now that’s a decent driveway!
    The terrace tasting area with fabulous views
    Murola tasting room
    Enjoying a few drops of red…yes we invested in a case and a half
    A post tasting tour around the barrels and bottling plant

    After some initial confusion about what we wanted, as I had asked for a “wine tasting”, which apparently in Italy is more of a wine experience with food (and €15-20 a head), not a tasting with the purpose of trying before you buy. We embarked on our mission to stock up with some more wine before the rest of the troops made it here. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. And what a great selection of wines they had, set in beautiful grounds. Our host Anna even offered to deliver our wine to the campsite! Now thats a service I doubt you’d find at your average Tuscan posh as you like winery.

    We think we will like it here!

    A fantastic cycle home to Truffy

    Friday we did a little more exploring on foot, taking a look at the monastery and abbey, and taking some of the footpaths at a slower pace, listening to the birds, smelling the flowers and generally just enjoying the peace before the storm.

    Poppies are everywhere splashing red into the fields
    Wild roses
    Inside the abbey

    Our friends Melinda and Barney arrived at around 5pm to escort us to their home in Loro Piceno, and tomorrow four more friends arrive from the UK. It’s all going to get a lot busier around here!

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    5 June: Spellbound in Spello

    Author: Mrs A

    Location: Spello, Umbria, Italy

    Wednesday: We only drove 15 minutes to Spello, just 10km away from Assisi, everything we had read suggesting it was worth a visit.

    We took quiet winding roads through agricultural land, grateful we didn’t meet any other traffic along the way.

    Maybe just room for a cyclist to pass here…fabulous roads to drive on as long as you don’t meet anyone!
    Gorgeous views accompany us on our way

    Spello is far less well known than Assisi, but its history stretches back just as far. Much of the town is built on Roman remains and foundations, and sits within an old amphitheatre. The churches are often built on top of old Roman temples, and encompass little clues here and there to the past.

    We entered through a grand gateway flanked by towers, amazed that there was not a soul around. In fact that is one of the main appeals of this town – it is so close to Assisi but there are so few tourists here. The streets and buildings are quiet, taking on a pink hue from the Mount Subasio limestone used in their construction. The constant call of swallows can be heard as they swoop catching flies around the rooftops, and the hum of insects on the ever present flowers.

    Where are all the people?
    These stone walls were restored in the early 1900s

    Every corner is filled with flowers
    Pretty pathways in all directions
    A lovely looking villa
    Every little space is used for pots of colour
    Richness of colour in every direction

    Seppo is full of flowers, every windowsill, doorstep and corner brimming with blossoms. The few people we did see were often tending to their pots, painting wooden planters, replacing dying plants with new ones.

    A local gardening enthusiast tends to his pots

    There seemed to only be one cat in Seppo…quite a chunky one too!
    Fine views across the Umbrian countryside

    From the top of the town there are fabulous views back across to Assisi, a monastery behind us enjoying this view daily.

    Assisi on the hillside opposite
    Wander around forever and never see another person!

    Heading off down yet another enticing lane way
    Will we get tired of these views?
    A flower within a flower?
    If only we could understand the stories behind this architecture

    We tried to find somewhere nice to have lunch, but the menus were quite restrictive in terms of dairy-free, and the restaurant we really wanted to go to was closed on Wednesdays.

    Mr A making use of the Google Translate app to ask about dairy-free meals

    So we wandered back through the town, calling in for some wine tasting on the way through (three small glasses for €10), and popping our heads into the Chiesa di Saint Andrea, a church built in the 11th century, an example of Francisan architecture.

    Hard to resist another little alleyway to explore

    Chiesa di Saint Andrea
    Frescos by Tommaso Corbo in 1532

    We’ve seen sculptures like this all over Italy

    It was well worth the visit to Seppo. We didn’t buy any wine, the prices set for the American market (two to three times the usual cost!) rather than the Italian value we have become accustomed to. It would be a great location to stay if visiting Assisi and wanting to avoid the crowds, assuming you had a hire car you could park outside the town walls.

    We, meanwhile, jumped back on the road and continued our journey towards the east coast.

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    4 June: Are we getting tired of all these lovely villages? Not yet!

    Author: Mrs A

    Location: Assisi, Umbria, Italy

    Tuesday: While sad to leave Lago Trasimeno, we were keen to see some more of the area before we were due in La Marche on the eastern side of Italy. We decided to head to Assisi. Mr A was originally reluctant, claiming it was ‘too much about religion’, but given the whole town is a UNESCO world heritage site, I felt it was a location not to be missed.

    It was a short hour’s drive and we were soon pulling up at a relatively new sosta outside a motorhome owning farmer’s house. What a view of Assisi it had!

    We were also excited when a little ginger kitten came bounding up to greet us, six month old Esther is an Italian camping-cat!

    Cheeky Esther bounds into Truffy for an explore
    I wonder if she meows in Italian?

    We wasted no time in getting out the ebikes and heading up the steep hill into town.

    Mr A heading under the city gateway

    As we rode up through the streets, very thankful for the electric motors helping us on our way, we passed a whole mixture of stone archways, pillars and building styles from throughout the ages.

    At the very top of the hill there sits a fortification, the Rocca Maggiore, more than 800 years old. The views from here are fabulous, looking across the patchwork valley of Tescio. The castle has been built, pillaged, restored again and again in its history – it’s in pretty good nick these days but we didn’t go in.

    Rocca Maggiore
    Solid stone walls more than 800 years old
    Fabulous views across the valley
    Look where these little bike bring us!

    The settlement of Assisi has been populated for thousands of years, with evidence dating back to 1,000 BCE when the Umbrians lived on the hill top in a small fortified settlement. The Etruscan civilisation took over around 450 BCE, introducing architecture heavily influenced by the Greeks, and then 295 BCE was when the Romans took over central Italy.

    A Roman water trough still adorns a square

    You may have heard of Saint Frances of Assisi? He was canonised in the 1200s, born and buried in Assisi and is co-patron-saint of Italy along with Saint Catherine of Siena. Pilgrims still flock to the town, and we saw several monks in long brown robes strolling the streets.

    There are indeed a lot of churches in Assisi, containing magnificent frescoes and paintings by famous Italian artists. But churches aside, the history and architecture is fascinating, often intermingled through the ages.

    Piazza del Comune

    Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
    These pillars date back to the 1st century BCE – part of a temple dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess Isis
    Santa Maria Sopra Minerva – interior from the 1500s, covered in frescoes
    Magnificent painted ceilings

    We made our way gradually through the streets, exploring nooks and crannies and stopping to try some local produce – some delicious Umbrian wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

    A delicious crisp fresh dry white from Umbria

    Sold! One tin of extra virgin olive oil and one aged balsamic ‘no caramel in here!’ – bought from Francesco, such a character…

    Love the sign outside Francesco’s shop: ‘Please come in and taste now the best olive oils and balsamic vinegar, Later you will not feel like walking up again. Don’t miss this chance.’

    Houses frame yet more views of the surrounding countryside as we descend through the town
    Such a clean and uncrowded city

    The most famous of all the churches is probably the biggest, Basilica of St Francis. It is also the most visited, with coach trips heading here just to see the artwork here. I recall visiting while an art student at university, way back in February 1990. The temperature was slightly different then, I can tell you – think snow flurries and bitterly cold wind! I decided not to go back in, but did a fly by on the bike to remember how it looked.

    Outside the Basilica – inside, frescos painted by Giotto depict St Francis’ life
    A grand entrance way

    As we returned to camp, the farmer and sosta manager pointed out his cat had a litter of four kittens needing good homes. They’re only a month old at the moment, so too young to adopt, but very adorable…no room for another cat in our life though, our Aussie Miss Tassie is still our most important fur child.

    Kitten fur is just so silky soft

    We settled down to a relaxing evening, enjoying the view as the lights turned on across Assisi.

    Better than watching the TV – I even got a cat curled up on my lap for half an hour!

    The Basilica of St Francis all lit up
    Looking up to the castle
    Sunset over Umbria
    Santa Maria degli Angeli – just around the corner from our camp. Famous for housing the home of St Francis and his followers – where he founded the Franciscan order and also where he died in 1226.
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    2 – 3 June: A lakeside retreat in Umbria

    Author: Mrs A

    Location: Castiglione del Lago, Lake Trasimeno, Umbria, Italy

    Sunday: Although part of me felt I really should be spending more time in Florence, perhaps visiting the art in the Ufizzi Gallery or one of the many Leonardo da Vinci exhibitions I just couldn’t face a day amongst the crowds after getting back to camp well after midnight from the UK.

    Instead we packed up and hit the road, driving just over an hour south-east from Florence to Lake Trasimeno. At 128 square kilometers surface area, Lake Trasimeno is the fourth largest lake in Italy (slightly smaller than Lake Como, the third largest). The town I selected purely on the reviews of where to stay – the lakeside sosta sounding peaceful and picturesque – just what the doctor ordered.

    After a relaxing lunch, we jumped on the bikes for a ride. There is a route which goes right around the lake – just over 70kms, but apparently the heavy rains during the winter have raised the lake’s levels and some of the pathways are covered with water. We decided to do a 45km return ride, heading towards the north of the lake from our sosta. It was a perfect day for ride – the weather warm but not too hot, birds singing, cuckoos calling from the woodland, butterflies fluttering by, everyone in a great mood…

    Such a picturesque ride

    The pathway wound its way along the shore, through poppy lined fields and over reed lined bridges. The views kept on coming.

    Couldn’t resist this diversion for a perfect field of poppies!

    You often don’t see the water, but the surrounding countryside is lovely
    A brief water break
    A rowing boat sitting on a quiet inlet
    I had to run over this rickety old bridge
    The locals enjoy a cooling dip too

    Definitely up there with one of the best rides we have ever done, and one we’d be keen to repeat and perhaps complete the whole circuit.

    Monday: We started our day more locally, jumping on the bikes again and heading into Castiglione del Lago. As with many towns with an ancient history, this is located up on a hill, overlooking the lake. It has a fortification which dates from 1247, currently used for shows with its natural amphitheatre.

    ‘Castle of the lion’ – which later became Castiglione…
    Looks like a great spot for moonlight cinema
    Remains of round towers
    Ancient olive trees cast strange shadows with their near hollow trunks

    The old town is very pretty, full of bars, restaurants and little shops selling local produce. Mr A did find a shop with a 50% off sale and made a few clothes purchases, and we did a little wine tasting along the way. Around every corner there is a medieval gateway framing yet another fine view. Just lovely.

    Perfect eBike territory with lots of steep hills
    Free wine and chorizo tasting? Why not!
    Another gateway frames a lovely view
    More lake views across the terracotta rooftops

    Mr A had spotted Cantina Del Trasimeno, a wine co-operative, not far from where we were camped which was offering free wine tasting, so we decided to head along late afternoon for a sample. It turns out it is an outlet for more than 2,000 wineries from the local region – that’s the area around the lake, not even the whole of Umbria!

    Mr A looking excited to sample some local grapes
    Our lovely host – excellent English skills and some fabulous wines

    We tried a selection of rosetta, blanco and rosso wines, and placed and order for 18 bottles. We are meeting up with friends in a week’s time and are keen to share some local drops.

    From here, we jumped back on the bikes and back along the lake, it was Monday afternoon after all, and the lakeside bars were already serving. We found a bar with nice waterside tables and settle down with a beverage to enjoy the view.

    Ahh the serenity
    Dramatic looking skies did not bring any storms

    We really like the feel of this area, a lot less touristy than Tuscany (we barely heard an American accent – sorry USA friends!) and very beautiful. The wine is delicious, the climate lovely at this time of year and for us the cycling opportunities not too hilly and interesting. It is definitely a region we would be keen to return to in the future. Added to our (ever growing) list!

    Enjoying our lakeside view – just €16 a night
    Final sunset…off in the morning
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