Backpacking

Leaving Siena, no-one noticed their allocated seating number on the ticket except Camilla who passionately wanted to stick to the rules and was met with an unruly group of mid 50s southern Americans (pack of 8 types) insistent that they knew nothing about seating arrangements. Forgetting this oversight we ended up with a 4 seat all to ourselves as we entered the glitzy (read dingy), glamourous (read grafiti covered) end of Rome.

Camping Roma

Determined to ignore anything younger than 2000 years we made haste through the metro and bus system and 1.5 hours later arrived at Camping Roma. The helpful receptionist (capable of 5 languages) said we could take our pick of sites. After assessing the first 30 or 40 we came to the conclusion they were all full of rocks. Our decision came down to how big the rocks were. Like a cute little cat, we settled on a patch which looked, felt and unfortunately smelt like kitty litter.

Without delay the embassy was standing tall and we deserted it for an evening in Roma (take her for espresso, yeah I guess so... on an evening in Roma).

With Dean Martin songs humming through our heads we jumped out of the graffiti embellished metro at Colloseo. It is unimaginable when planning a trip from home just what it will feel like to finally reach the 'must do' destination. Regardless of how many pictures we have seen, regardless of how many times we have pictured it in our heads, the Colloseum is awesome to behold.

Despite Camilla's initial observation 'It looks smaller in real life' we found the our way with enthusiam to the front entrance (finding the front of a round building is easy, follow the American tour groups). Two words budget backpackers love beyond all others, Entrada Gratuito (FREE ENTRACE). Cultural week coincides perfectly with our planned visit to Rome so all of the state monuments and museums are free to all visitors.

Having saved the entrance fee (score) we splurged on an audioguide to accompany us around the monument. Learning all we could of the history by paraphasing in turn the dialogue to one another we found the Colloseum gory to say the least, facinating and strikingly beautiful as the sun went down.

Next stop was the Trevi Fountain via something to eat. Although the Chinese Restaurant was only steps from the fountain our feet carried us directly past to take a first visit of this enormous marble artform. A few coins over shoulders and we needed our first asiapacific meal.

After dinner we paused again at the Trevi fountain as the lights came on and made our way to the bustling spanish steps. Littered with young canoodling couples (makes you sick really) we dodged the sellers and arrived at the closed gates of the metro. It is surprising that a major transport route could close at 9pm. With intuition, good looks and determination Camilla deciphered the map / bus routes etc. and led us to safety with only one bus change.

Day 1 - 18 May

Picking up where we left off the day before we dodged the pollen (now thick like snow on the ground around the bus station) to the Spanish steps for morning tea. It was at precisely this time that Steve chucked a wobbly. Unfortunately, it seems the previous evening and for that matter the last 2 months of carting around luggage, portable embassy and various food items like a turtle he was feeling overloaded. Europe is saturated with fine artworks, monuments and beautiful places it seems impossible to truly do it justice in only a visit. This said, the wobbly subsided at the same time that morning tea started to digest.

Full of vigour and nutella baguette we set off for the Pantheon. Considered one of Ancient Rome's greatest and most well kept architectural structures the dome roof is a sight to behold letting a thick column of light illuminate the ornate marble floors and walls. If Steve does not return from this trip it is probably because he persists in testing the water coming from every single spring fountain around Rome before entering any monuments.

A packed lunch was planned for the Italian Forum as it is often too easy to just walk straight through these great sights and not take time to sit and soak them up. Lunch was complimented by a very (very very) expensive can of coke which was put to good use watering the ancient concrete.

Wandering through the forum we were diligent in reading every word of the Lonely Planet explanations of the site. This act was made tricky by the constant dust storms whipping through the columns and marble arches. After an hour or so of taking notes we climbed the hill behind the forum and for the first time had a feeling for the vastness of Rome.

True to the Roman Holiday movie Camilla figured out a bee line to the Mouth of Truth. Outright lying prevailed as Camilla shouted infront of 100 impatient Japanese tourists 'I am Audrey Hepburn' and was grinning from ear to ear that she left with both hands attached.

Detouring slightly from the plan (there was none) we headed towards Plaza Nuovo housing the four rivers fountain of Michaelangelo. Gelato was the order of the day (Cappucino & Choc Mint, Chocolate & Strawberry) sitting on the edge of the ornate fountain watching artists clutch their easle as the wind rushed through the square. On one side, the most ornate church visited so far was almost completely forgotten by tourists in spite of multicoloured intricate mable carvings along all walls.

Dinner in the campsite could not have been more rewarding as we juggled ideas for the following day and reflected on how immensely satisfying Rome can be to visit.

Day 2 - 19 May

Having become increasingly use to waking with the sun to the sound of birds in the trees or rivers running nearby it was a little bit of a rude shock to wake to the sound of 15 vintage Ferraris revving in the nearby shopping centre carpark at 5.30 am. At least we were up and at-em early as we planned on visiting the Vatican City.

When they say queues in summer can be bad we were shocked to find nearly 1 km of people in each direction of the entrace to the Vatican Museum and Chapel. More surprising was that it would not open for another 1.5 hours!!! Even though it is known to be a great collection of art and architecture we came to the conclusion relatively quickly (on this very fine sunny day) to enjoy Rome more broadly.

Standing in the graceful curved courtyard of St Peters we decided to climb the Cupola (curved roof) instead. First stop was 150 stairs up to the inside of the mosiac dome. Reaching the internal balcony we could hear the humming and singing of a service below. Architecturally it is incredible to see such a cavernous space so richly decorated with mosiac tiles less than 1cm square.

Now excited by the sheer height we were gaining it was time to climb the additional 150 stairs on the inside of the outer shell of the dome. As the walls start to curl we realised we had lost each other. Steve determined to find Camilla rationalised that the best place to do this was not in the confines of the narrow passage but overlooking Rome. Camilla found Steve with both cameras pressed close to each eye, diligent search completed.

While cities such as Paris and Florence have distinctive skylines due to their confined historic centres and notable monuments, Rome is a litter of church domes, bridges and far off ruins. Being able to see the Vatican gardens and piazza was simply stunning on this sunny day, lacks a beautiful harbour such as Sydney however.

Roaming in Rome commenced with our downward spiral staircase which made us dizzy before entering St Peters. A choir was singing at one end while the throngs of tourists (who must have had an all you can eat buffet breakfast and more comfortable awakening than ours) had now arrived. St Peters is over the top, considering the resources required to establish such an impressive collection of statues, paintings and marble collected from various monuments over history shows the dedication of the Catholic Church.

Our adventure was entirely unplanned today so instead we wound up in a gutter eating local delicacies (pastries) admiring the boganvillia covering entire walls of the surrounding buildings. Onwards to the Castel Saint Angelo museum (free entry) was an interesting if not slightly sparse tour of a 1500 year old palace / fort etc. Right price...

Piazza del Popolo was fantastic with segways wizzy around and the sun glinting off the Egyptian obelisk in the centre. On our way to the park we noticed the Leonardo Da Vinci museum (a private collection of works and recreations from drawings) which we found fascinating. Hands on displays and models of some of his inventions, as well as clear explanations regarding the physics behind his ideas kept us well amused.

Now totally full of all things Roman, we lazed by a pond in the park and read a few chapters of Harry Potter. As the sun was setting we finished the day back at the campsite with homemade burgers, extra onions (which smelt like the first BBQ in 2 months) and wine. Rome is certainly a city to see once in a lifetime, maybe more if you have the stamina. Our next visit will not be far away where we will definetely stay in the thick of it (no metros or buses to sap our energy). Overall rating 10/10.

It just so happened that after a record 40 minute bag (sleeping) to bag (backpack) pack we arrived at the bus stop with 10 minutes to spare only to find out that the bus strike would continue for another 3 hours. At this point most travellers, particularly our NY friend, would be pulling hair out. Within seconds our contingency plan was in action. We were sitting under an olive tree, in a vineyard, overlooking town from 500 metres away with a hot cup of tea and local delicacy in hand. Go team Hall!

A couple of chapters of Harry Potter and a few slices of pizza later and the bus pulled up around midday. We arrived in Siena around 1.5 hours later. After tallying our camping nights on arrival at a few more than is comfortable (20 plus) we opted for a one night stop in a hotel.

49 euros, a hot shower and something called a p-i-l-l-o-w was pretty sweet for one street behind the famous town square. Each year the town square holds a famous horse race which erupts into festivals for the rest of the week.

Siena is the colour of, well, burnt siena. Orangy red brick is seperated by marble and stone work in the buildings. We visited the enormous basilica heavily adorned with marble frescoes and tilework, traced our way back to the hotel via numerous calligraphy shops, got blinded by the butcher who shone an industrial torch at Steve who was about to take a photo, and lingered long enough in the local supermarket.

After cooking in our room (is that the same as 'non fumare', debatable if you ask us) we read a few more chapters of Harry then ventured out in the crisp night air to see the square (really an oyster shape) in a different light. To our relief it had stopped raining sufficiently to wander the narrow back steets and catch the lights of the city across the valley.

Leaving Florence at a respectable hour we bumped into a New York traveller with a classic case of 'I have an 8.37am train from the station (keep in mind she is standing at the campsite at 8.25am, almost 40 minutes from the station) and I just want to see the Gondolas and canals in Venice before I make an overnight train at 5pm thisafternoon from Milan to Barcelona'. It dawned on us from our observations that Americans are regularly either on a tour bus, travelling in packs of 8 or more, or more frequently LOST! We wish her the very best in achieving a comprehensive if not slightly optimistic tour of Europe.

Our pace was somewhat less rushed with no bus ticket purchased, stomachs wanting pastries and a desire to visit San Gimignano, a mere 1 hour bus ride south.

Making the Poggibonsi (???) connection we arrived at the glorious walled city of San Gimignano. Proportedly the most visited town in Tuscany, it has 7 remaining towers of the 72 which have been erected in its turbulent history of feuding families etc. Casciano and Tavernelle seem only to erect a few more towers and they may be in the running...

We hope to be known forever as responsible backpackers, and bear in mind this section of the blog will be edited before our children are old enough to read, we hitched a ride to the campsite. The lovely Austrian couple (middle aged although I am sure they believe they are younger) were very chatty when they offered a ride in their brand new Audi in the midday sun.

Eager to get the embassy flag flying we boogeyed on down to the local bus stop and were a little perplexed when the large converted Toyota Hiace came to a halt. Walking through the narrow winding and very picturesque streets we decided that the best vantage point of the town (and to check on the embassy) would be the 13th century 72 metre tower. We met a somewhat older Doogy Houser MD on the tower and helped him take a photo then remained a while to enjoy the vista across rolling hills, church spires, terrocotta roof tiles and vineyards tp the horizon.

A Day in Tuscany - 15 May

To commence our romantic Tuscan experience we washed a load of smelly socks and undies. By midday we dragged ourselves from the exciting chores and ventured back into town for lunch. Finally a decent sized lump of lasagne was served and eagerly devoured in a popular restaurant in the town square. Watching families play ball in the streets and everybody eating gelato from the 2006 Best Italian Gelato shop across the square made us ponder the idea of returning oneday with our own family. It was concluded that it would be easier to leave kids with the folks instead.

An afternoon swim was needed after taking the long walk (without hitchhiking) through the vineyards and olive groves to the embassy. The sun set amongst the oak trees we were camped underneath and as the day was coming to an end so too was our 1 litre tub of tiramasu gelato.

Camilla's second stroke of genius (following the bag at the station concept) was to catch the bus from Florence Centrale to the campsite. This idea came straight after her concerns that Steve had no idea where the camping actually was, and that it was likely to be overrun by shady characters if it exists at all.

One stop too far is usually a bad thing when lugging around one's home on your back. Like little turtles we stuck our heads out from within the map and realised the campsite stop is only 10 metres from the lookout where we were standing, Piazzale Michelangelo.

Florence - 10 May

With a famous skyline such as Florence we awoke keen to get into the thick of it. Walking down through the communal rose gardens, lined with ripe (and as we found out later very delicious) lemons we reached the Ponte Vecchio. This bridge is the only one to survive the bombings of WWII and has since housed jewellery shops. Happy to spend an entire days budget on some stand-in wedding rings we realised that we where a weeks budget short. Given our hunger for red meat it is a shame that the butcher shops that originally used the bridge where nowhere to be found.

We have found that the tourist information centres often give out 'One Day in...' guides for those that have jumped off a tourbus with limited time. It is a great starting point to get to know a city based on a walking tour of the highlights so for today our objective was to walk the 5 km circuit to orientate ourselves.

Into the first small church (it usually only takes a few moments to find a historic church worth looking at) and we were accosted by a couple of very friendly Americans asking for money. Ordinarily the reply would have been less than polite but given that we were in a house of God it seemed fitting to help them PAY (God isn't cheap on the tourist strip) to light up the famous fresco on the wall. It was a unique experience so we put the expenditure down to helping others to enjoy their experience.

Like the advertising junkies that we are a poster caught our eye (please note this is very tongue in cheek). Spiderman 3 has been released in English at the Cinema Teatro Odeon, with original 1930s decor. Walking on we came into the Piazza de la Repubbblica with the most beautiful carosel yet complete with pink feathers on the horses heads.

The highlight of the walk, and infact the centrepiece of the Florence skyline is the amazing Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It is unmistakable with intricate marble carvings, coppertone tiled dome and 80 metre bell tower. Standing near this incredible piece of architectural art it is clear why it took 150 years to complete and now stands in almost perfect condition (slightly dirty on one side)

Lunch was as gourmet as you can possible expect of two impoverished backpackers, milk and bread. No we didn't forget to include anything in that sentence! Sitting directly under the dome watching the passing parade of African street sellers, young Contiki tourers and elderly locals added sufficient flavour to make lunch a treat.

Gelato was in order en route to the Piazza della Signoria housing a replica of the statue of David and the palazzo Vecchio with an outdoor display of original marble statues. It did not become apparent until now how many magnificent original sculptures there are in Europe. Regardless of the quantity we are still thoroughly enjoying them, in particular those displayed outside where they seem to best capture your imagination.

Dinner was shortly to follow from a boutique supermarket similar to that found in DJs, Sydney only noone spoke Australian except us. We refrained from buying everything and instead armed ourselves with foccacia, cous cous, rissotto salad, ricotta, olives and the lemon (Steve borrowed). Outside the Odeon we again watched as children played in the square and American teenagers spilled out of the cinema threatening to give away the ending.

Unfortunately, Spiderman 3 is not the classic we were expecting but entertaining nonetheless, particularly when the crowd giggled with amusement as Spiderman leaps in front of the flying American flag before saving the day.

Day 2 - May 11

Steve woke to find that his mattress has been slowly leaking air and was therefore lying on the ground. This will need to be addressed as we cannot afford the number of teas required to subdue this situation otherwise.

With one objective for the day in mind we headed off to the Galeria Degli Uffizi complete with packed lunch and open mind. At the point were we had been standing in the queue for over 1 hour and we decided it was time to make friends with the 80 year old America couple in front of us, and tease everyone by bringing out a fully packed lunch. 30 minutes later and we were finally throwing ourselves into the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the local vacinity.

Uffizi is well worth the visit, particular given that the entire ceiling of the sculpture gallery is intricately frescoed. A great view of the river, Ponte Vecchio and our campsite can be seen from the end windows.

Unplanned, and by a stroke of luck, Camilla came across the one painting she has been scouring the galleries in search of due to indepth study at school. Artemisia Gentileschi (1593) Judith beheading Holophernes (one of the goryest and most confronting husband slayings on canvas). To compliment her book 'How to kill your husband, and other useful household hints' there is no wonder Steve hasn't been sleeping well. All the same the gallery impressed us with a variety of works and sculptures and as a climax we viewed Botocelli's 'Venus'.

Gelato was enjoyed at a nearby church step followed by extensive internet time then onto the Plazza della Signoria where the replica of David is presented outdoors. Whether it was simple absentmindedness or the distraction of scupted naked males, Camilla stacked it down the stairs twisting her ankle. With all the encouragement in the world she was coaxed across the plazza (50 steps) for dinner.

Sunset was enjoyed on the banks of the river with the Ponte Vecchio silhouetted like many of the postcards we had admired. It was a long day and deserved a good nights rest.

Day 3 - 12 May

Breakfast - Internet - Called Mums for Mothers Day - Lunch - Internet - Dinner - Sleep. No joke, this was the extent of it as we needed to catch up with ourselves and do little else.

Day 4 - 13 May

With Camilla harping in Steve's ear 'I really would love to spend some time in Tuscany', and Steve politely reminding her (repeatedly) 'dear, Florence is in Tuscany' we made a brilliant decision. Our options were an 40 euro per person afternoon visit to a Villa to taste wine or a 80 euro day trip (per person) to San Gimignano we decided to go it alone. Armed with the worst possible map you have ever seen we selected two destinations (noted to have events on in the local rag) with travel coming to the grand total of 15 euros (for the two of us) we set off.

Destination 1 - Casciano val de Pesa

Small town with historic walls, great view over tuscany, nothing whatsoever open on a Sunday and 2 kms from the Wine Fair we were determined to visit. After a relatively short, hot walk along the country road and following a number of local directions we arrived at Villa de Cotti's neighbour. Politely greeted the madame of the house welcomed us into her home and said she would help with directions in just 5 minutes. Almost 30 minutes later and having heard her arguing with her last guest she finally tended to our simple question. 'Where is Villa de Cotti, they have a wine fair on today and we would like to attend - by the way thank you for letting us look through your villa it is beautiful'. Please keep in mind that this conversation commenced as we were walking down the drive away from the house, she attempted to pursued us to stay and taste her wine, make us food etc. etc. then reluctantly pointed over our shoulder at Villa de Cotti 50 metres away. Our gratitude for her assistance was brief. Villa de Cotti (against all advertised indications) was closed, the end.

Back into town we sat for a victory lunch at having found our destination despite a lack of wine trade fair. Great food at a small family run trattoria in this quite, sometimes overlooked, town of Casciano was heartely enjoyed. Our next destination was a 30 minute bus ride away, we were optimistic still.

Destination 2 - Tavernelle

In search of the local music festival (advertised in the same magazine) we held our suspicions. With glee we were met with music as we stepped off the bus and made our way dirrectly into the town square. Feeling that we were in the heart of Tuscany the romance swept over us and we got re-married. If further explanation is required let us be clear, we left our real wedding rings at home but felt (preverbally) naked without them. Camilla is now adorned with a plain silver band indicating her undying affection (crazy) for Steve. Steve has a multicoloured mood ring which has been purchased in the vain hope that Camilla will be able to decipher amorous from travel fatigue. Pizza from the local take away was enhanced by the friendly shopkeep. After our meal we sat to chew through our books listening to the local vibes in the Piazza as the sun was setting.

Engrossed in our books we caught the bus by the hair of our chinny chin chin as Camilla glance (only for a fraction of a second) across the park to see the last bus of the night returning to Florence. LUCKY!

Leaving the beautiful coastline of the Cinque Terre behind we boarded the train to Pisa catching glimpses of the mediterranean all the way. Off in the distance it is possible to see the mountains where marble is mined and delivered in huge blocks numbered with red spray paint. We would only realise how significant it was to see the marble in this raw form once we set eyes on the finished product.

Pisa - 9 May (stopover before heading on to Florence)

Without an ongoing ticket we had not yet decided whether to remain in Pisa overnight. Although we had heard from many who have travelled their before that it lacks points of interest, on the contrary we found the walk through the markets and piazza from the station to be as good as any other city so far. Camilla received her first 'Bella' from the ladies in the fruit stalls which felt special as they delivered it with a smile.

Down a somewhat dingy street we caught our first glimps over a graffiti covered wall of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa gleaming in contrast to the brilliant blue sky and green grass. We entered the ritual conversation all tourists undertake at Pisa; 'No you push it over, no, I want to hold it up, no you first, oh alright but a feel like a dork...'. With gusto we joined the other 1000 tourists holding their arms in the air taking directions from accompanying photographers and produced the desired result.

A packed lunch was enjoyed on the grass in the shadow of the Dome watching crowds of school children. Our tickets allowed us access into the brilliant cathedral and dome. Inside the cathedral we entered a deep discussion about the variations this particular one has with the other 8 - 10 major cathedrals we have seen so far. With sunlight beaming through the windows and deeply moving religious effigies we realised that each visit is entirely different even though the themes are the same. Steve exclaimed rather abruptly 'Camilla, I am sure we have seen this one before...', nevertheless it was exciting to be here.

By coincidence our visit to the Dome was in time for a demonstration of the acoustics by a trained singer. Luckily we had already climbed the narrow staircase to the higher level where for nearly a minute each time the vast space was filled with resonating tones from the singer below. As the sound trailed off it was impossible to relate what we heard to a human voice. Caught up with the romance and beauty of the place it was difficult to pull ourselves away from the square.

We took a final moment to reflect on the beauty of the 900 year old structures, what it would sound like if the tower actually fell, and how many times a day the 'hold the tower up' photo is taken' we entered the nearest souvenir shop (totally out of character). A couple of nice postcards where first purchased and as we were leaving the store THEY WERE FOUND. On our list of must reads Camilla has at the very top the number 6 Harry Potter: The Half Blood Prince, Steve has been wishing to find Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, Treasure Island. THEY WERE SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER (in English)! Leaving them quietly on the shelf for the next customer... what are you talking about, screw the additional weight ... SOLD.

Walking back to the train station where we had paid to leave our large backpacks (stroke of genius from Camilla) we decided there would be little else gained from staying the night in Pisa. Outside of a not so swanky hotel was a near perfect original condition Bentley from what must have been the early 1600s. Well maybe not that old but we are talking first rate open wheeler, deep british green with leather straps holding in the engine (not that it is likely to jump out of the bonnet).

New books in hand we where hoping for an 8 hour train trip or some catastrophic delay, unfortunately, everything went to plan so we arrived in Florence within 1.5 hours.