HILL TOWNS OF ITALY

I've been wandering around all these beautiful hill towns of Italy for the past few weeks and I just can't believe how beautiful they are.  There's all those Roman underground passageways, the arches, the dept of the buildings.  In Perugia, there is an escalator that goes upwards through all the levels of Porticos, passageways, arches, caves and stone to reach todays street levels.  In Assisi something similar just not as deep and profound.  On top each village and hill is crowned by some type of fortification, many churches, higgely piggely houses, loads of flowers and plants, stone steps descending and ascending beckoning for exploration, a painting on every corner.  The whole area looks like a set for a Hollywood film with a young Rosanno Brazzi waiting for a Katherine Hepburn around every corner to do a remake of Summer Holiday if I remember the name right, could be wrong since it was made a long time ago but how romantic it was.   I've taken so many pictures and they will all blend in together with no hope of doing justice to these villages and cities that walk one back to Etruscan and later to Roman times.
I'm now in Spello, a town I never heard of.  I wandered through it last night and heard that there was a free concert of medieval music in a palace courtyard.  I was also attracted to the area by the sound of a man playing Irish music on a whistle and I saw that he also had pipes in his bag.  I hadn't heard trad music for weeks so hung around until it was too late to move on so just slept in a parking lot.  What another grand place.  Today I spent in Assisi, went there very quickly by train from here and am now back thinking of an apertitivo up at a fun Bar in town with lots of nibbles.
There is quite a heat wave in Italy this week that makes one very thirsty indeed especially since all these village streets climb upwards but oh the views.  See a few below.
The people in this little town are just going out around 10 pm and the children were out in full force in the playgrounds when I passed last night

Those Etruscans loved to live high up

Etruscan caves/burial sites

All deep underground

Still down deep

Almost midnight, having fun.

about 11.30 pm.  Mostly people just stroll, have a gelato, stop at a bar for a wine spritz while women sit on chairs outside their doors and chat with the neighbours.

BOLSENA

I never heard of Bolsena until last week and now have been here for 6 days and don't want to leave.  It is the most peaceful town full of all the great little twisting lanes, flowers and stone buildings that feel as if one has turned the clock back many centuries especially at night here wandering around the old walls and castle buildings.  It has all of that and is also situated on a volcanic clear lake with beaches that are not crowded and water that is clear turquoise blue - just perfect.
It also has great little Enotecas to buy wine by the glass or just drop in to fill your own bottles at the cost of 1.50 euros a litre.  There is a long avenue down to the lake completely planted with tall plane trees that are old and so beautiful.  As in all of Italy the smell of the flowers especially Jasmine add to every stroll.

Castle of Bolsena






Rooftops and a view of the lake.                         

 Favourite Enoteca

SIENNA

Sienna - what a really lovely city.  It is so easy to say that here in Tuscany with each city built out of the local red brick and the faded, sunny colours of the houses.  Still the main piazza of Sienna must be one of the most beautiful in the world, it looks like a large scallop shell    Most people think of it as the place where the huge, famous horse race takes place every year when each tiny district (contrada) puts all their faith on a daredevil rider who careens around the area at high speed bareback wearing the colours and emblem of his contrada.  There is huge rivalry and the only rule is that they are not allowed to touch each others reins.
The city is medieval and almost the size of Paris.  Most of the central area is for pedestrians only.  Again most of the greatest artists have left their works in the great Churches here in the paintings, frescoes and statues.  It is said that Wagner cried when he came to visit the absolutely wonderful Cathedral saying that it provoked the most emotion of any building he has ever seen.

The Campo

The cathedral

plaza del Duomo

 Inside and out there are bands of black and white marble and this is even continued in the pavements
and archways.  The eyes don't know where to look.  The Crypt is fully frescoed and there's still the Baptistery, library and Oratory to visit with all their treasures.

 

inside

lovely view

 

VOLTERRA AND SAN GIMINGNANO

These are two of the best know and most beloved towns in Tuscany.  Absolutely full of character and history.  The latter was featured in the film "Tea With Mussolini"
Volterra was the home of the Etruscans and the museum dedicated to them is wonderful.  They left behind so many of their masks, funeral urns, excavated cities and their jewellery and everyday implements it is hard to realise that it was BC that they lived and walked in these parts.  What craft man ship.  Later the Romans came and built on so much of the city and they also left huge remains.

 

Remains of a very large Roman theatre in Volterra

 San Gimignano once had 13 very high towers, now only a few remaining.  No one knows what function they served back in the 8th century.  The town churches and palaces are full of delightful, beautiful frescoes by well known artists of the middle ages.  There are wonderful views from the walls of the town.  Today there are so many visitors it is best to try to spend the night there when it becomes magical and quiet.  By day the trippers wander around with cameras in every direction and the "gelaterias" are in full swing with the huge cones and so many flavours to be tried.
The nice thing about a camper is that one can stay close by for the night and explore at leisure - no buses or trains to catch.

 

wonderful tiny side streets

Volterra graveyard.

CHIANTI

I have always wanted to go to some of the little towns in Chianti, an area known for not only for the great wine but also for the wonderful food.  The towns are small and most picturesque.  Wild Boar is one of the main specialties and every specialty shop seems to have a tradition of generations preparing and specialising in the most wonderful cheeses, salami's, meats etc all reared and produced by that family.  One can buy a ticket for 5 or 10 euros to try the marvellous wine but that does not go very far when many bottles cost over 100 euros.  Still it is fun to get a tasting plate and a glass of excellent wine and sit out on the lovely piazza.

Greve in Chianti

Radda in Chianti

 

LUCCA

I'm still driving on the back roads and the temperature is around 30 degrees and often more.  I wanted to make a stop in Montecatini Terme but there was just too much commotion with road building and big trucks so I left but it looks very interesting and I had heard about a nice camp sire up above M.Alto.  May go back that way sometime.  Meanwhile on over to Lucca a beautiful little city with walls all around it and they're so wide that one could drive all the way around but fortunately it is reserved for walkers and cyclists with plenty of room for both.
It was, of course, the birthplace of Puccini and his childhood home is now a museum complete with a Steinway piano.  Every corner in Lucca is special with great piazzas, restaurants oozing with atmosphere, great architecture especially in the numerous churches, fun mimes, a paradise for shoppers and a place to rent a bike and just enjoy it all.

Great little Enoteca by St Michel

San Michel

Basilica

Puccini the man himself with old home in the background

The Amphitheatre

BOLOGNA

Two tall towers Bologna

St Stephans, 7 churches inside one

The graduate.

I've been wandering around a bit since Monte Sole including a nice day in Bologna.  I took the train to there as I had previously driven around several times without finding a parking place.  That's the bad thing about cities - so hard to just stop and look at a map so kept going round and round.  It is a lovely city and crowded out with students.  This is the week when those who have completed their Phd studies are celebrating graduation.  They wander around the streets with family and friends wearing a green laurel wreath on their heads.
Now on to Tuscany and one of my favourite cities - LUCCA

MONTE SOLE

Il Poggiolo

Road to Il Poggiolo

lovely owners Bernadette and Mauro

Life wandering in the van in Italy is not at all as easy as in other countries.  There are few parking spots, no little places to pause for a picnic and the large camping parks have almost tripled their prices since the end of June.  There are probably more areas to stop on the Autostradas but they are very expensive highways and my main aim is to see the little towns and villages as I meander along so I don't use them.    Of course there are many compensations in Italy like the great food and helpful people but still one is on the road a lot because of the difficulty in finding an inexpensive place to stay for a while.  If I were not alone I would probably just park somewhere in an isolated village.
I am so delighted to be in this place south of Bologna.  It is near the top of another mountain, an area known for Archery, cycling, walking and horse back riding  and it has a very sad history of a large massacre that took place here at the end of the second world war when hundreds of woman, children and old people were killed by the Fascists hunting down the Resistance of the Red Star Partisan Brigade so the empty ruins of their houses and church are dotted around the area.  Now Peace is actively promoted and it is a Protected region.
I asked at a friendly Albergo if I could stay on their grounds for a few days and the most friendly owners, Mauro and Bernadette, said that would be fine with them so I've settled in for the past few days and have time to meditate, do a bit of Yoga and walk.  In the evenings I am not cooking but eating in their restaurant where they make all their own pasta.  It's the least I can do to pay them back a little.

A Memorial to those who were slaughtered

ALBA

A nice pause for a wine tasting in Cantina del Cavaliere served with style by Giuseppe and his daughter along with cheese and salami in a lovely Cantina.  The area here is famous for the Barolo, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto dAlba wines so, of course, had to try them all.  Took some of all 3.  They all sell their own fruit, cereals and vegetables.

AOSTA

Just spent a few days in a valley famous for skiing as it is among the highest mountain peaks in the world like Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.  There are great walks and views and of course it is only a few kms to go over to France or Switzerland from there.

I was on a great walk up in Pila with so many beautiful mountain flowers and lakes.  It is possible to drive up to a high level and then take a 4 person chairlift almost to the top.
It is, of course, a ski resort but they make great use of it in Summer as a haven for cyclists who can take their bikes up on the lift and then go off road all the way down.  This way the lifts can stay open in summer and the restaurants are busy.
Serious cyclists were having a race the day I was there and they cycled up and down even young boys seem to be able to manage these mountain roads with their Dad.  What strong legs.


AOSTA at first site seems a bit grey since the local stone is that colour and they make full use of it so even the roof tiles are made of stone shaped like scallop shells.  There are large amounts of the old Roman City still intact including the ampitheatre and it is just wonderful.

The city is very well known for it's great cheese and has lots of excellent restaurants and shops.  The whole region is wonderful for trekking and it is high enough not to be too hot even in July.