Trevi Fountain & Park Fun

Good Luck at Trevi Fountain

Park Fun - Bici Pincio

We had lots of fun today ! This morning we walked to the Trevi fountain and threw coins over our heart into the fountain for good luck. The fountain is really beautiful and the statues and detail that make up this monument are incredible. I was amazed at the size of it.
After that we went to the park above the Spanish Steps and hired a Bici Pincio for a few hours, we rode round and round, went too fast down hills and Lucy drove for a bit of the way yelling at everyone to get out of the way, it was hilarious and we managed not to tip it over.
A spot of shopping and a coffee in the ritzy area of Spagna and we were ready for a rest. Tomorrow Geneva.




Faith, Faberge, Fiats & Filth

Faberge Eggs Exhibition - Wow

St Peters Square - setting up for Easter

Darren could see himself in one a Fiat 500

Fi

The Coloseum needs a bath

Rome... what an an amazing, crazy, wonderful, dirty, busy place. A city full of history, incredible architecture, marble buildings, wonderful shopping, beautiful fountains and spoilt by a layer of dirt and the streets filled with rubbish.

Wonderful moments today:

The Sistene Chapel

(breathtaking)

The Faberge Egg Exhibition

(fascinating)

Basilica di San Pietro to listen to the Pope's message

(heavenly)

A wander in Piazza Navona

(artistic)

Tomorrow we will visit the Trevi fountain and relax in a park.

Assisi

View from Rocca Maggiore, Assisi



The perfect couple

Today we had  a beautiful day in Assisi. We walked through the old fort at Rocca Maggiore, a series of caves, tunnels, towers and rooms filled with armour. We walked the streets lined with marble and cobblestone and visited magnificent churches. I filled my bag with pressies for my mum and Lucy filled her tummy with berry yoghurt and waved an Olive branch from her pram as it was Palm Sunday yesterday. The views from this town are breath taking.

Orvieto

Orvieto - a view from the Fortress

Michelangeli shop entrance

Today we went to magical Orvieto in Umbria. We were lucky to stumble on the first day of the chocolate festival so we indulged in truffles, 100% pure cocoa, and pink bunnies on a stick. Orvieto is famous for the Duomo, we could not go inside as it was closed for the day due to a big concert, the outside was impressive enough, the architecture is stunning.

The streets are full of beautiful ceramics and everything Pinocchio and more shoe shops (oops I bought another pair). One particular shop called Michelangeli captured my imagination, a beautiful store filled with wooden toys and puppets.

Romeo, Romeo, Where Art Thou ?



Juliette's Balcony

 A day in Verona bought surprises. We visited the Arena and found the amount of dirt and rubbish surprising. We walked the shopping strip and found the walkways surprisingly beautiful. We were ripped off with our sandwiches at the market which surprised us and Romeo was no where to be found, surprise, surprise.

Italy's Amazing Funpark

Poppi-Alan and Lucy on the (very fast) Peter Pan ride

 

Darren and Lucy (the Daredevils) on the Rapids Ride

 

Nanni (Scardy Cat) Sue, Lucy and Nicola on the Ikarus

Today was a day for laughter and screaming. We had a huge day at Gardaland,  Italy's biggest funpark. We rode the rollercoasters (including the brand new Raptor and the Blue Tornado) , rode a beautiful merry-go-round, whizzed around on the Peter Pan ride, rode the jungle rapids, shot the egyptian robots. Eight non-stop hours of craziness. Lucy was so much fun to watch and she was more of a dare-devil than her Nanni.

Italian Food

Some pictures need no story...

Cadenabbia

Today we went across the lake on the ferry to a funny little town called Cadenabbia. We walked up the steep hills to discover what I thought was 'another world'. It was a world filled with buildings being restored, a childrens playground filled with manequins dressed up and a little bar with caves that opened up into a garden filled with statues and a beautiful view of the mountains. A bit quirky, a bit creepy but in the end made out for 'an interesting place to visit'.

Bellagio, Italy

We had a glorious walk today from San Giovanni to Bellagio, the scenery is so beautiful every step of the way and if you look closely you might just see some beautiful old iron work or the spring flowers trying to compete with the beauty of the italian ladies and the mystic mountains in the background.
After a coffee and my first leather purchase we had lunch overlooking the steep cobblestone streets that wind down to Lake Como. Another day in paradise.

Lake Como, Italy



San Giovani, a little fishing village on Lake Como

We are in San Giovanni, the loft apartment we have rented for 5 days has incredible views of Lake Como. The 1.5km walk to Bellagio is steep and with no footpaths, a little dangerous. Alternatively there is a shortcut through the Marquis Malvezzi gardens, but there is a fee of 3 euros. I guess there is always the water taxi with a gorgeous tanned Italian man (choices, choices).
Today we had lunch down on Lake Como where you can often see the typical boat called 'Lucie'. The Luicia is a typical boat of the past and takes its name from the protagonist of 'Promessi Sosi.  In June San Giovanni hosts a very important party. Many years ago children put oil in nutshells and lit them, lining the mole; the women brought cakes in baskets and after dinner the baskets were put up for auction. The man who wanted to conquer his favourite girl had to win the basket belonging to the girl.
I wonder if I bake some cakes if Mr Clooney will show up and want to win my basket.

Borromeo, Italy

Borromeo Gardens

Lucy in Lavender

We have had another magical day in Angera on Lake Maggiore, Italy. We caught the ferry from Arona and walked up the winding cobblestone paths to Borromeo Fortress. It is a medieval walled building with beautiful gardens and a doll and toy museum. We sat in the gardens with our bread, tomatoes and cheese and had lunch overlooking the lake and Arona.  A perfect day.

Arona Magic

Oh I love Arona... to make it even more loveable Arona is hosting a European food and beer festival this weekend. It is a feast of food, crafts, beers and sweet things from all around Europe. Arancini for lunch, Thai for dinner and Sicilian biscuits for the inbetweens. Lucy spied a big piece of sweet bread from Sicily and 'had to have it'. Darren spied sausage, pork and beers and 'had to eat it'. I spied beautiful french Laguoile cutlery and 'had to buy some'.

Right now I have to admit I am in love with Italy, maybe it is the sun, it could be the lakes and mountains we are surrounded by, maybe it is the friendly well dressed Italians, the amazing shoes or then again could be the espresso and the gelati.

France to Italy

Arona, Italy

We had the most wonderful journey yesterday, we started with Breakfast in Dijon, France, lunch in Brig, Switzerland and dinner in Arona, Italy ! The train took us through France, through the lakes and mountains in Switzerland and around the lakes in Northern Italy. We have purchased first class euro-rail passes and it is worth it. Having a croissant on the train whilst viewing the french countryside is... bliss.

After 3 train swaps we arrived in Arona and walked up to our fantastic apartment called Domus Camelia Blu. After a freshen up we wandered down to the lake side for an insalata and a gelati ! The weather is warm, the lake is clear, and you can see the snow on the Swiss mountains in the distance. I am in heaven, this truely is paradise. I wish Lucy could drive a Vespa, I would like to pretend I was Italian just for a day.

It is nice to be swapping our coats for t-shirts and our chocolate chaud to gelati !  Oh, did I mention that there are a billion shoe shops here - Bliss.