We left Venice after securing a hotel what we thought was near to Fabriano .We did 550 kms in a stint that left all a bit jaded. It turned out the place we went to was called Gubbio (goobyo) and it was by a accident a lovely place to be .In the heart of Umbria and a very old walled village .Our hotel was up a street that the pug could only just get up .The parking was in a public area .Actually right beside a Roman theatre..The next day we explored the town starting with a climb up to the top of the hill behind.C was kept going at with the purchase of Italian ceramic on the way for me to carry.I was a very long way up and the ride on chair lift made us think may be we did it round the wrong way..At lunch time we set off for Fabriano to the family that Pip was billeted with during the war. The address we had it turned out was Enzo's (the son) cantina this in turn caused some confusion. Because cantina in Italian is wine cellar. As we had arrived at siesta time it was all cuiso but going around the back we were able to make our selves understood to another business and the woman phoned Ada.So back into town and after abit of todo we found her .All very emotional holding C hand all the time Cross the we hadn't phoned .We had a friend of hers Maria who had worked in London many years ago to translate for us .We have video Robyn. It is the vintage now so Enzo was very busy and didn't get to meet him,but he gave us 2 bottles of his wine .We spent another night in Gubbio this time shifted to the garret all in together.
Drove the next day to Ciampino a rather undistinguished suburb of Rome but only !5 mins on the train. Got sorted then straight into Rome ,If the girls thought this was going to be a doodle think again.
You get all day pass to really only 2 lines of importance. Wandered around getting our bearings ending up at the Coliseum (which apparently took 70000 Hebrew slaves only . Travelling you forget what day it is and the next day was Sunday you guessed it ciuso.We went and found a lot was still open .The Pantheon was a real highlight for me .Exactly 43 meters wide and tall how it supports itself is incredible .The walls are 6mts wide at bottom going to 2 at the top with the perfectly round hole at the top letting in a very gentle light.This was Hadrian's engineering at its best. Every few streets open to a Piazza and one of the favourites was Navona with beautiful fountains. Tivoli fountain was a bit missable having the biggest crush of tourists we had encounted.Sian and I went back in the morning to Vatican Mussee. It took us 3 hrs to go through ,starting with Egyptian to Estrucians Raphael's masterpieces culminating with the Sistine Chapel..We booked a B&B at San Gimignano in the center of Tuscany .It is a very beautiful place .It was decided we would have 3 nights there firstly because Lisl liked the breakfast and second as base for Florence and Siena. SG itself is beautiful .Apparently badly hit by the plague and being bypassed by the excesses of Renaissance building and so almost intact with three towers rearing up above the town. Went into Siena the next day .The features being a a very large cathedral with a very ornate white facde.And a huge piazza which hosts twice yearly bareback horse races .By all accounts a fairly brutal affair. I forgot to say that on our way from Rome we saw 2 motorcycle accidents. The 2nd an idea how this society is organised .The first we knew there was wailing siren and some how all the cars managed to get into one lane for the ambulance and police to get through after about 10 mins the traffic was moving again and we had the rather sickening sight of a poor bugger getting paddles. Back to Siena it is walled city again and from our parking we took a series of escalators to the town center. C took us on a very scenic route to Siena which took nearly 3hrs every one getting a little tetchy the drive back only 25mins
The next day Florence every ones favorite .Michaelangelo born here and Dante baptized there .Home of David we saw copy but lacked time to see original in Mussee .Great shopping in Florence and I am afraid poor little pug pretty loaded no one complaining. A lovely drive through Chianti .We did what the guide says everyone does to poor Pisa and just breezed through to see tower. It certainly leans. There was a 2 hour wait to go up so we flagged . On recommendation we are in Tellaro finally on the coast and the girls insisted 2 nights.28 c here and the season is over we are swimming in water that is as hot as NZ ever gets and there is almost noone here .The trip itinerary has changed we flagged casino and all south of Rome as time is running away with us .