Italy 08

That's right, we are in Lucca. However still only 2 of us, not the 3 Ed & I had thought... All I'm going to say is that there was a communication breakdown - we thought Kevlar was coming out today (the 18th), turns out it's the 20th. We also thought he was leaving on the 10th, it's the 11th. At least we don't have anything planned and set in stone!
[Addition: We are going to stick with this one - Kev told us the wrong dates, not any confusion etc. Especially as we both thought the same thing!]

Ah well, all it means is that we will go and find him in Pisa on Sunday (not a great day for trains as we found out, better have our passports ready for another close conviction!) All it really means is that we will be in Lucca a day longer than we had thought. And Geneva for possibly another night. And neither of those bad things!!

Anyway, back to blogging and letting all you reader folks know what it is we are getting up to in the land of pizza pasta and copius amounts of wine! (oh, and ice cream of course)

So, where were we... Pisa! And that did not last long! Out of the internet cafe, into the obscenely cheap supermarket, then off to the north of town to find that leaning tower thing. It's cool. It's most definitely leaning (I was actually quite interested - damn that degree!). It's a horrible tourist location.

There honestly isn't a nice way to put it. It's tacky, full of stereotypical tourists (and I mean it - American school groups saying 'Oh my god, it's so big. Wow it really leans doesn't it!', fat white men with short shorts and socks in their sandals, japanese V-finger posing with insanely huge cameras, you know the sorts) The stalls selling tack, the roaming touts with their fake watches, most likely a pick pockets paradise! You couldn't walk for getting in the way of someones photo, and if you were standing still only to be approached and asked to take one for the proposer.

Obviously I had to assume the position, propping up the Leaning Tower in an oh so original fashion. After a couple of quick snaps, we perused the stalls (without any intention of purchasing any of the crap on sale, mainly for something to do!) before finding out that to go in any of the surrounding cathedral buildings or the tower itself required tickets purchased at extortionate rates, hence forth seating ourselves in the shade against a wall.

More tourist watching, laughing at the typical families, all of the afformentioned tourists, all with the same look about them of 'what the hell are we meant to do now!?' across their hot faces. We did of course have a few more looks of bewilderment, sat with our packs, nibbling on our nectarines, bearded and laughing aloud. But it is going a bit far when you have your photo taken, right? Isn't that, well, a tad stalkerish? Or at least perverse!?

The train station! We had, all in all, survived Pisa, seeing all of it's sites (including the ones along the river) in a couple of hours. It's an OK town, but without anything really going on. Plus the downfall of lack of campsite.

On to Lucca! 2EUR later, we were here. A smaller station, looking across to the walls of the inner city. Obvious of it's fortress history, amazing tall thick walls, moat inclusive. (We did laugh that such an impressive fortress never actually had to defend itself, therefore rendering itself pointless. Also at the fact that, having such a long history back to the Roman Empire era, that since, the name of the city had ben changed. Oh yes. Now LUCCA, once... LUCA. ???. Anyone care to explain the point in this change?) Irrespective of our amusement at the guidebook, we trusted Ed's memory, having been here 7 years prior with his family, and walked along the top of the walls to the nearest information point. After aquiring a map (still not quite sure how we managed it, some ranting old crazy man blabbing on in Italian at an alarming pace about who knows what!) we saw an advert for a camper site (as in motorhomes). With no place to stay, we figured it as good a chance as any to camp. Only the other side of the city. So, in the heat we trekked across, admiring the narrow streets and pleasant qualities of the city we could see. Eventually we were here, and when asking about camping, we weren't told 'Yes you can camp, rather charged 18EUR on the spot. Meh. If we could stay, it was good enough! Hot showers (although mine was frightfully cold this morning), a laundry room, electricity, free internet. Brilliant! It's more of an RV site than anything (Mum: you know the ones, inner city sites with small plots and the neccessities, but nothing special) We have struck lucky though, on the edge of the site with a view across a field and into the woods, rather than the neighbouring camper's kitchen!

Our alarm is going off at 0630 for a good run around the city (my second one being called short with a twinge in my calf - damn injuries) a bit of a pressup competition, wash and early morning walk to the minimart for our days fruit, and the essential: Milk (we've gone on to full fat, being somewhat [I use the word jokingly] malnurished ad in need of calories) before a casual stroll about town. Chilling out in a piazza, serenaded by pentioners playing sax and accordion, before a peek inside one of the massive cathedrals. Off to find some shade on the walls, read an insane amount, play frisbee, bit of footy, eat another nectarine (although Ed has been put off I think - possibly eaten too many - those and pasta are the only things we eat really) before another dose of city life, surrounded by Piaggios and bicycles winding through all of the pedestrians. Buy a beer, chill out, some more reading or HP (seriously, people rave about mr Potter, but it truly is brilliant to listen to!) then buy some food, cook, do whatever. Last night we went over the road and watched the locals at the clay tennis courts. Tonight... who knows!?

We are generally just enjoying the brilliant weather, easy/cheap life, relaxing as we are in Lucca for almost a week! Had another ice cream today; only our second in Italy! The melon tasted just like SilverDell's, quality! [for those of you who don't know, I eat quite a bit of that magical stuff]

With our simple way of life, we both feel that we are starting to appreciate things in life a lot more. I know it sounds stupid and rather insignificant, but good food (you don't know how much we want good sandwiches! & for some reason have forbidden ourselves to have them), a comfy bed (I still am yet to purchase a rollmat so I am finding myself rather too intimate with the floor than I may have hoped). We are on our warrior diet plan, enjoying it and seeing the benefits (I am not going to explain, far too long winded and type-consuming [see what I did there - god I'm a comedian]) Both of us fully intended to be fit, bearded and tanned on our return (if not unheathily skinny!), not stacked as people might hope being called 'warrior'. We'll see...

Superficially, we are having a simple, almost boring existence at the moment, especially when contrasted with our exploits in Rome! However, we are enjoying ourselves immensely, not on each others nerves yet (hurry up and get here Kev: I can't stand it any more!!!) and generally taking what we can get.

Off for a bike ride tomorrow. Cheap hire from the campsite (does this place offer much more!?). Off to explore the river etc, unfortunately not into the surrounding mountains lining our horizons, teasing us of the Alps yeat to come. I'm sure my painful rambling will come to an end soon, don't you fret. It's more a diary than anything anyway (so why are you reading it you cheeky bastards?) I know I'll have missed something pivotel to my time here, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Yep, knew I'd forget some pretty funny bits. The main one springing to mind being that adventures with the magic that is the frisbee. Playing next to ancient walls designed to stop an invasion force, and getting them stuck in these areas isn't great news. Hence the near death attempts at jumping across gaps, to evenually find that 'breaking and entering' was the way forward. Luckily I'm quite a small chappy, squeezing myself under a door, into a locked off area (clearly unentered for quite a time!), sploring the depths of the fortress, before realising that scaling a 25ft drop probably isn't the best way forward. Tempting, but dumb. After all of this to then throw it out of the city, then get it stuck in a tree, then lose a football, then have some crazy italian nearly kill himself getting the frisbee from some other random inaccessible part of the city. And to think what we were nearly arrested for... At least this would have been worth it! (please ignore that comment if you have any influence in my life... the frowning doesn't suit you =P)

Oh yea, the plan... Kev here on Sunday 20th, leave Lucca 22nd, Florence/Firenze for a couple of nights, on to Venice, then lake Garda for a week (hopefully I'll get a dive in there somewhere), to Milan, Aosta, then a week in the Alps, 2 nights in Geneva, up to home. Phew! Keep in touch you bunch of layabouts

Love you all, (but myself more)... x

Cor, what a lot has happened since my last correspondance! As I mentioned, our next destination: Siena!

Packed up, we left Happy Days Hostel at 1100, nipped up the road into our market to buy some nectarines (our staple daytime diet in Rome!) Now, the journey to the bus station across town. Only 5 miles in the midday sun. Althugh we didn't complain and actually really enjoyed it, ignoring the crazy traffic honking at us as we crossed the road, dodging in between the speeding Piaggios. After just over an hour we were there, looking around dopily for the correct ticket office for Siena.

I have to admit, our Italian might not be quite up to scratch quite yet, the women behind the counter looking at us bemusedly, our pronunciation terrible, before replying fluently in English to say that it cost 18.50EUR to Siena. I'm not sure which shoked us more - the English or the price! Puzled we inquired as to the difference in price of the 5EUR we expected, and the new one! To our dismay, it was internet pricing. Lesson learnt: If it's cheap online, book it online!

Ah well, we had expected travel to be one of our main outgoings. We paid, climbed onto the coach, and traveled up from Rome into Tuscany, admiring the scenery along the way (well, I slept for half the trip so actually grogily awoke to the new scenery)

Yay, Siena! Hot sun, winding backstreets, awesome piazzas, and no accomodation at all. Yep, that's right - nowhere to sleep. The city information telling us that the hostel was out of town and fully booked, the campsite was closed until the 15th (only a few days later!) and to try the 1* hotel round the corner. At 86EUR a night, we weren't overly enthused! Hmmm... we were slightly, to put it bluntly, buggared. Back to the main Piazz, sat in one of the nine segments sloping down towards the cathedral. It was relatively busy, but clearly only a tourist destination. We somehow found a new hatred for Americans. The cra tehy come out with is ludicrous! We thought so in Rome, but this was something else!

Our tempers slightly tested in the heat we set of bedraggled, with our packs on our backs, to get some food for our underfed bellies. Pizza. Ordered an entire one to the shop owners disbelief, and slumped outside on the street waiting for it to be cooked. The looks we got were amusing yes, but why we had them we aren't quite sure. Yes the beginnings of beards on our faces, our packs lying next to us, and the fact we were on the floor people walking around us, but we struggled to see quite what everones issues were! Sod 'em (grumpy tourist bastards and their expensive hotels and restaurants!)

To our shock, but brightening up our day, there was a huge festival in the city. All we could figure out was that it was something to do with porcupines... Flag throwing, huge floats, drunken italians, costumes, and a lot of excitement. It was bizarre to say the least! Awesome to see, although we still aren't sure exactly what it was we did see!

Alas, it was evening, we had no bed, hungry again, we felt all in all quite homeless. Food instead then. If our accomodation budget wasn't being tested, we'd go for a meal and chill out. We managed to find a quiet outskirts restaurant used only by locals it seemed, our italian flair actually being demonstrated (how or where it came from we don't know but ordered everything in this weird language). Pizza again, but really good pizza!

Being homeless is quite an adventure really, and a puzzle too. Where do you go? A park we thought, but found it to be walled off and locked up. So we walked out the main city gates, along the enormous city walls and found somewhere. Here's how we describe it: 'a beautiful spot, jus outside the main city, shadowed by the ancient walls of the city, underneath a watchtower, a view across the valley to the mountains in the distance, a picturesque church on the horizon. Unnoticed by anyone, untouched by anyone, and sheltered beneath beautiful trees.'

We were up against the walls of the city, hidden from the road (hidden from the police more like). It was actually amazing! Wait til you see some photos; you'll be impressed.

A good night's sleep (we weren't raped or murdered) up at 0510 to watch the sunrise and pack up before the city returned to life. Packed up our sleeping bags (we must have looked a sight. I'm going to have to let you know - We had our sleeping bags out, but it was so hot we just lay on top of them in our boxers. If someone had found us it may have looked a tad suspect, but it had to be done) And wandered down the hill to the train station. Next train to Empoli - 5 hours time. Bollocks. Oh well can't be helped. Hung around, read our books, listened to music, broke into the model train room to charge our iPods etc (it's not as bad as it sounds) almost being arrested... I know I know - what the hell are we doing to nearly get arrested!? The simple answer, we don't know. Because we haven't shaved? Because we are English. It was the second time we had our passports srutinised and details taken. Apparently because Ed had walked across the tracks. But so had everyone else in the station, including the 3 policemen who came over to tell us it was wrong, then back over the tracks again... Idiots.

Eventually we got to Empoli, to find that we had been very stupid and not checked the trains properly - we could have got an earlier train (there were 3 infact), and then to find that being a Sunday, Empoli was dead, and the campsite was over 10km from the station. More money on a taxi, 25EUR. To the campsite to find it a tiny bit more expensive than the internet had promised. Grrr. Safe to say we were in pretty crappy moods. We soon cheered up though, pitching our tent in a quiet spot away from everyone else, admiring how good our tent actually is, and buying some food and wine.

Soon followed a good routine of reading in the morning, a walk in the day, table tennis for hours, buy food etc, eat, have a beer, eat more food, listen to lots and lots of Harry Potter. Sounds pretty mundane, but ended up having a really chilled out and fun time. Campeggio San Guisto is where we stayed if anyone is interested. Really nice, but only really accessible by car.

Right, I can't really be arsed typing anymore. We've just got to Pisa, not seen the tower yet but will in a few mins. We left Empoli at 0930 this morning, a nice cheap train ride (local trains are the way forward by the way). We have some bad news for Kev I think, we don't really want to stay in Pisa. It's pretty nothingy really. It's ok, but after we've seen the tower etc, we'll have done it. And Kev isn't here for a few more nights either. Hmmm... so we are off to Lucca later, Kev will have to get there after his flight. We feel a little bad, but the time in between Rome & him arriving was pretty unplanned, filled with Ed & I doing what we wanted really.

I feel that my literary skills have left me - I'm hungry, and typed out!

So, will let you know how Pisa turns out, most likely blog next when in Lucca. Can't wait to show people some of our photos!

GOOD BYETCH! x

Rome - the centre of the universe. The home of possibly the greatest civilisation. Our home for the past few days.

And I've loved it!

It has just past 0800, I am sat in the morning sun, relaxing after our morning run out past the Castel Sant'Angelo, up Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps), winding through to the beautiful Fontana di Trevi before 'stumbling' past the Pantheon (snatching a few mouthfuls of water from the everflowing fountains dotted across the streets) to cruise back past Piazza Navona, across the Tiber and into Piazza San Pietro. A moment to relax before some rather intense pressups in the sun, no longer shadowed by the towering columns. Is your run better then that at home? And that was our small one! After only 4 hours sleep and a couple of bottles of wine [consumed at our vantage point on the flood defenses of the Tiber, casually watching the party goers leave the Fiction Fest 2008 into Castel Sant'Angelo, the Lancias without quite the same 'impact' as the previous evening], a slightly warm stomach and acidic throat, but the quiet morning streets and beautiful sunrise enhancing all the enjoyment of the passing life that is Rome.

I could proceed with an account of our days, but the amount we've actually done is quite obscene. The miles we have walked, the architecture we have seen, the history we have fantasised over, the culture experienced and depth of this hub of the world. Instead I will probably just spill out with crap which is somewhat hard to follow. Meh.

What haven't we been to see!? Palatine Hill; the founding place of Rome, the home of Ocatavian Augustus. The Roman Forum; the old centre of Rome and it's wealthy corner once filled with exciting shops, bars and brothels leading up to the senate houses and temples, then burned to the ground, replaced with more important governmental buildings birthing the political districts seen today, the ruins and Via di Sacra providing the scenery to one of the hottest walks I have ever been on! (it was the midday sun) The Pantheon; home of all the gods, a perfect feat of engineering and quite awe inspiring - over and done with in a few minutes as there isn't actually much to see, but another of the reasons I want to study ancient architecture so much!
The Colosseum... well that was something else.

Everyone has seen Gladiator, or at least parts of it. And if not, you should know about at least a bit of it's history as the first great stadium, seating between 40 and 70 thousand eager spectators for the bloodshed and fighting display that were the gladitorial games. I wanted so badly to stand on the wooden flooring above all the underground network, the centre of it all. Ed and I did have a rather sad moment of listening to gladiator music looking across the amphitheatre... Don't judge us.

We had actually come to look the evening prior to this, just for a look. But went in to the sounds of people offering all sorts of tours, yelling how they could skip the queues with you to save you that long wait to get inside. But the best way to do it - Audio Tour. Cheaper, and more flexible. Brilliant. Learning how the word arena comes from the sand covered wooden flooring of the Flavian Amphitheatre (that's the Colossem by the way - I seem to be having a rather weird day dropping a lot of names and trying to sound like a true fountain of knowledge. Hopefully it'll stop, but I'm not promising anything). I loved it. My favourite place in Rome.

The walk up towards the Colosseum, through the Arch of Constantine, where the Triumphs came before the Via di Sacra, is brilliant. At night, disappointed how this was yet another example of having to be there and the camera just not doing it justice. This was after a rather gutting walk for several miles to 'the face in the wall' (my name dropping has failed - I can't for the life of me remember what it is called) to find it was closed. Refer to guidebook... ah yes, it closed at 6pm. Buggar.

We had our ice creams by the way - from Blue Ice in Piazza Navona (Bacio flavour - chocolate and nuts - message to Elaine... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!) Watched a brilliant crazy entertainer, uncannily reminding us of Dan, very witty and amusing, unicycling on a 7ft unicycle (instead of unicycling on a horse... duh) juggling fire, the diablo king. Loved it!

Found the best shop in the world, opposite the hostel, nice coffe bar, with an espresso to blow our nuts off (Ed will appreciate the now Nut Cream reference, haha I'm so funny) filled with the best condiments and sauces, alcohol galore, everything we want in a shop. But no cakes. NOT a cake shop. Hmmm...

I have written for aaages now. Enough. We have planned our next steps now: Bus (waaaahhh not again!) for 5EUR to Siena, find a random hostel for a night or two, then to Empoli for some camping and smaller town life for the markets etc (an addition from yesterday) before over to Pisa to pick up Kev on the 18th.

I'll keep you posted. Well, probably not, I've not got any stamps, but the blog might update now and again. Now to leave you to your bad weather, think I might go and work on my beard tanline. Oh yeah baby.

So 6am may have gone out the window onto the busy road 5 stories below. Our preplanned run out done by the shear exhaustion we felt. 8am. Much better.

I will explain... we are adamant that we will be overly fit when we get back home, running everyday alongside general exercise. And what better way to do it than through one of the most beautiful cities in the world, around buildings thousands of years old, in a warm climate, and a day of entertainment to look forward to.

Nevertheless, we failed this morning, which isn't the best start and doesn't bode well for the rest of our trip!

We start off down the stairs, ready for a crazy day, and lo and behold, Ed has already managed to break his flip flops. Straight back up the stairs to Evano's surprise as he opened te door to see us after the whole minute we had managed into Rome. Wow he regretted that move later in the heat walking everywhere - shopping later I think!

Out for breakfast nice and early however, cioccolato brioche and nectarines, sat in the morning sun on the steps to the Basilica. Also early enough to miss any kind of queue. Score! Straight inside, staring in awe at the size and detail smothering the complex. The engineering side of me struggling with concepts of 'how?' and being proper little geek along the way. A few good photos, then up to the cupola. Standing above Rome, gazing across to the mountains, absorbing the city. We were there for ages, just looking and chatting. Much more interested in just getting a good feel for the city rather than the religious side to it all. Not that it doesn't interest us of course (Ed is a history student after all). We did have a good giggle at the expense of the tourists arriving now, queuing for miles all around the piazza just to get in where we had just walked straight into without a fuss! Back down the curved and slanted staircase, and alongside the insanely tall walls surrounding the enlave that is Vatican City, and to the museums.

Artsy fartsy paintings and statues is my honest opinion. It's very impressive and pretty, yes, but watching the tour groups go around having painful detail of everyone of the thousands of items throughout shoved into their ears via the radio tours, was mildly amusing. Much happier to cope with our guide books and just reading bits along the way. I have to admit though, the map map room is awesome. On to the Sistine Chapel, home of the most famous ceiling in the world. And some of the most misrepresentative art too. Egyptians painted in the form of Georgian time French soldiers? Has no one else noticed any if this? Confused but impressed, we left to the sounds of 'shushing' security guards and whispering tour guides, to return to the city.

Sitting and people watching in Rome is so much fun its almost perverse. But laughing at the tours of a hundred pensioners strewn across streets, families who are clearly having a really bad day, and locals who just want a coffee has a strange enjoyment factor when stretched out besides an ancient wall in the sun, eating a fruity lunch, winding down time before the walk back to the hostel for a small siesta.

And that's where I am now, Ed dozing in the bedroom, halfway through a diary entry, and me sat gazing out of the window in the common room, peering down the busy Italian street, hopefully providing you with enough entertainment and a taste of what a great time I am already having. However, don't get used to this luxury - entries are not going to be quite so regular, as in everyday!

Off for an ice cream I think (Miranda & Becky have only told us about 50 times that we have to!) x

Ed and I had the brilliant idea a few weeks ago to coach our way to Rome. We booked our tickets, paid, and just accepted that the 33hour coach journey would occur. And occur it did.

Being the antisocial kind of guys we are, we set the alarms for 0500. All packed already, had a quick shower, and dragged Becky groggily into her car for the drive to Clapham Jct. (She offered! We aren't that mean really) Early enough to miss the traffic into London, and relieved that the Wimbledon final had managed to finish in the diminishing light the night before (imagine the traffic going in if it had carried on into Monday!) Said our goodbyes to Becky and hopped onto a train to Victoria.

At 7ish we found our coach, checked in and jumped on board. Probably the most excited - and awake - people on, reading the paper in our most civilised way possible, and discussing just about everything. Soon enough we were at the channel crossing. We were slightly confused in all honesty, considering we thought we were meant to be on a ferry, and the tunnel is on the wrong side of the water's surface. Nevertheless we carried on listening to our Harry Potter audiobook and after only a few hours arrived in Paris.

Why, oh why, are services quite so expensive?? Autogrill after Autogrill, ie. extorstionist after extorsionist. How is it justifiable to have to take out a small mortgage just to buy lunch? Thankfully, we had sandwiches. Fluke on my part (somehow didn't get the memo that human beings require food) Becky making a round for me the previous night, and Ed in a somewhat excessive mood with his 8(!). Saving an arm and a leg, and managing to survive integral to our plans of course...

Sleep prevailed, a little, now and again. The intermittent bursts confusing the hell our of us (especially when waking up to Chris Akabusi yelling down your ear ranting about everything and nothing - possibly only understood if you've ever listened to Fighting Talk) and awaking in irregular and painful yoga positions in our crampt seats. Well, I say crampt. Mine wasn't too bad, but Ed is quite a lot taller than me. Victory number one for the shorty (hehe)!

Ok, so who said the traveling in the EU was easy if you were European. You know, the flash the passport, stoll over the border and no one reall cares nor worries what you are doing. WRONG. The layabouts, that call themselves the Italian police, at the border decided for some unknown reason to stop our coach at 0130 and check all our passports. Fair enough, but when it takes over an hour, dawdling along reading everone's in some amount of detail (I think he was learning my birthdate or something - we couldn't work out what the hell they were actually looking at. I can get all the information off my passport in a couple of seconds). They called a few passengers off, searched a few bags, checked some more passports, and sent us on our way. Meanwhile allowing all the other coaches etc to pass the border without even stopping! Grrr. I'm not overreacting, but the annoyance comes with beng held up for over an hour, means arriving at your destination over an hour later than due.

Milan was a blast - dash off of the coach, and onto the next, due to leave 5minutes earlier. Not stressed at all, just that hanging out in Milan's out of town bus station didn't really appeal all that much.

I don't know what it is about Italy that interests me so much. Most likely my mild obsession with all things Roman, but my want to roam (no pun intended) across the country with just my pack, living in the most random places, squatting in some of the stunning and abandoned villas littering the countryside. Infact it is just the Romans tht really ispired me to come here, so I find myself questioning what it is about the Romans... the pissups and orgies perhaps? (a joke for those of you with worried looks creeping across your faces)

ROME. Yes! 33hours after hopping on the first coach in London, surviving rush hour in the 3main cities in Europe (London Paris & Rome) How we managed to time that so well I'll never know! Dusty, sweaty, probably smelly, but in Rome nonetheless. In the wrong part of Rome. ???. Why are coaches so stupid? The ticket and everything else related to the journey says one destination, but leaves you at another. Idiots. Ah well, Ed and I couldn't actually care less. We had our packs (alternatively our lives for the next few weeks) and a map. 5 miles across Rome in 32 °C - child's play. Especially after not eating properly, sleeping properly, nor moving properly! A couple randomly asked us if we knew how to get to the Vatican. We said yes, showed them on the map, and expected them to get a bus, but to our surprise they were up for the walk alongside us. Safe to say, they regretted it. Possibly because we found it in ourselves to go trekking across to Spainsh Steps and through a few more pituresque locales with them struggling along behind. We arrived in Piazza San Pietro (St Peter's Square) and sat for a while taking in the extraordinary sight that is St. Peter's Basilica. We had a feeling that this couple wanted then taking to their hostel and company for the rest of the night, but being ridiculously boring and annoying (alternatively - Canadian) we left them rather hastily to our rest spot - Hostel Happy Days and the legend that is Evano.

A few minutes walk from Vatican City, next to a market, with a kitchen and free internet, it's actually a really good hostel. And Evano the owner (as advised by Rebecca & Caroline) is a great guy and real character.

Instinct then took over. ie. Hunger! Cheap as chips (what a dumb saying, it was way cheaper!) pasta, sauce, fruit & wine. All we needed to fill our stomachs.

A nightime stroll then took us back to St Peter's, then down the river front and around the centre of the city, peering into the stalls and restaurants lively in the warm night. Sleepiness then took over. Exhausted we crawled back into the hostel, up the rickity lift and into bed. Alarms set for 6am. Oh joy...