Pandaroamium

Our little cabin on the side of the cliff

Cinque Terra views

This is where you end up in a Cinque Terra town. Always on the highest point of the cliffs

View from the top of the Leaning Tower

one of the Pisa bells... and Tim

This guy was weeding.....no wonder we weren't allowed on the lawn

Almost shaped like seats

Who said it was leaning?

Ponte Vecchio

all made of inlaid stone

this is the Duomo Di Sant Maria Del Fiore. We went right to the top!

view of Florence from the dome. Our hotel is just centre left

inside the dome

puss cats at Cinque Terra

I didn't go back to the last post, have started anew.

Woah, I'd say we've trodden over 2000 steps in the last 36 hours! First, at Cinque Terra, where everything is on cliffs, we traversed the beautiful towns for a detailed look at their nooks and crannies. Then, yesterday we hit Pisa and climbed the Leaning Tower, another couple of hundred steps or so. This isn't as easy as it sounds. Because of the lean, you feel as if you are on an amusement ride, with your balance mechanisms challenged. You spiral your way up (stepping on incredibly worn steps, see pic) and the lean side is easy but the top side is much harder. A very wierd feeling. The view from the very top though is worth it.

Today, we are in Firenze (Florence) and we encountered 466 spiralling steps in the Duomo of the Santa Maria Del Fiore. You are also doing this with hundreds of other people and sometimes you need to get up close to pass on the stairs. Again it was worth it though, for the view across Firenze. The pics won't give the impression but its a start.

My gluteous will really be maximus by the time we're finished!

Oh, I'm sorry, but Imelda struck today........... yes, I relented and bought ** pairs of shoes. How could I resist! Beautiful Italian shoes made right here in Florence. AND i paid less than I would for Chinese made ones at home. Not that i'm making excuses, I don't need to ...........
The shoe shop is 'only twenty steps' from the Ponte Vecchio (there's only jewellery shops there!!) and I was served by the designer himself, Guido Longinotti. A charming man and good businessman.

Tomorrow the Panda will take us to Roma for four days, go Panda!!

Getting the message across

One of many churches in small piazzas

Everyone needs a red cape to keep them warm

the locals having a nap

a potential business for me?

soccer hooligans!!

We spent another day getting around Genova. It is quite a charming town which I hadn't heard of as somewhere to visit. The evening saw us sitting at the bar across the roundabout from our hotel, again watching the traffic. There had been a major football game that day, see the pics of the assembled crowds in the main square. I think the team won, as we watched scooters and cars zoom around the roundabout with flags waving and horns hooting. It was hard not to be impressed by the passion of the response. As we played "spotto" (giving an arm punch when you spot one) for our selected subjects; Ducatis, Fiat 500s, Lancias and scooter riders with their feet down (a strange habit of European riders), we attempted to order a bottle of wine from the waiters. It took two orders of a 'glass of wine' to get the message across that we wanted to share a bottle, it seemed alien to them. Also, the waiters insisted on replacing our nibbly dishes; chips, peanuts, petit sandwiches etc, even though we hadn't finished the last???????? There was no arguing or rejection allowed!! Very funny.

Next morning we finally got a car and drove down the coast to Cinque Terra. Mum had told me how lovely it was and so had others. It is now a heritage listed area and the only shame is that there are so many bloody tourists there now, and the accompanying souveniour crap. The drive was interesting and I had to get behind the wheel after a while as I was getting car sick (as usual) with the winding roads. Everywhere you look there is something to see.

We had booked a room at the Ill Borgo Di Campi at Riomaggiore but we didn't know exactly where the 'hotel' was. Turns out it's on the side of a cliff just out of Riomaggiore and our room was 200 steps down from reception!!! Leave the big suitcase in the car........

I'll come back to this..............

Compio trent'anni il mese prossimo

Don't say it!!.....
(one of the dozens of paintings about John the Baptist, get over it!!!)



Ceiling in the Genova museum

Ambulance in the alley!

on the roof!

How many do you want?

Ancient amputation saw, he he.

More view from the roof

and more.....

Alley

See, I can speak Italian, even if it isn't quite true!

Well instead of ending up in Nice, we decided to blow the border and get to Italy. We got off the train in Genova and lugged our bags out of the station into a not very attractive, commercial dock area. Once again, lots of men were just sitting around and I could feel their eyes boring into my back as we walked by, I wasn't in the mood.......... We took a taxi downtown and found a nice hotel in a 'nice' area. I'm sorry, I just don't do the cheap, dingy thing.

On the way, we went through Canne and Monaco. Only saw the stations though sorry. We did see all the spectacle of the huge yachts moored off shore from Canne however. The festival is on at the moment. No celebs at the station.

We walked around the corner of our hotel in Genova and found a lovely little restaurant full of locals, good sign. This was about 10pm by now and people were still waiting to be fed. I had the best pasta EVER, a simple tagliatelle with butter sauce and truffle shavings, mmmmmm. at the end of the street is this huge wall (see pic) with stripes and crest painted on them. Grand!

Yesterday, again we wandered the streets and alleys. Some looked a little questionable until you see confident young women walking through them, it's normal practice. It's hard to portray the feel of these alleys in photos; narrow, twisiting and some quite spooky. Again we sort of got lost but it was easy to find our way back. We stopped for lunch in a cute Cafe in one of these alleys. While eating, we heard the whine of a siren approach. It only had one way to go...... squeeze it's way up the alley, between us and the next wall. Minutes later the space was taken buy a trio of musicians; saxophone, accordian and guitar, very atmospheric.

Before lunch, we went to the Genova Museum (I know I said No more!). Obviously they are not as well funded as the capital cities. The attendants actually direct the way you move around the rooms and one woman, an imposing Russian looking woman, followed us into every room and virtually looked over our shoulders. Disconcerting but very funny. The lighting on each painting was a huge old fashioned light fitting, not very subtle. On the top floor, the young attendant motioned for us to go up further in the lift. He took us onto the roof, then up stairs to a viewing platform. We had 360 deg views of the whole city. I took some video but not sure it worked. Amazing how all these places have literally been built on top of each other.

Anyway, enough for now. Ciao

If you've read this, read it again....it's different

View from the train to Genova

Think we had breakfast somewhere there??

Graffiti....oh the graffiti!!!

The Streets of Marseilles

Mode du Jour

Skip, a bar for you!!

Great equus sculpture!

not equus, a giraffe made of books!

Hi everyone.

I wrote the following on the train yesterday. I'll put photos in later. Internet access is a little sporadic. Breakfast beckons........

Now, where was I........ Marseilles. Once again we used our feet and wandered the streets to soak up the atmosphere. As I said, there is a lot of dinginess in Marseilles and not a lot of prettiness. We booked our train ticket to Genova and kept wandering, finally finding a precinct that looked like the arty farty area. This area also is home to the African contingent and the shops are facinating; spices, dates, nuts, handicraft.....but once again, dingy, sorry. Am I sounding like an elitist westerner????........

Unfortunately, due to the public holiday, most things weren't open but the odd shop and bar provided enough to entertain. We eventually got lost and had to ask directions, which is difficult when you don't know much of the language. It's ok though, I figure if you get really lost you just hail a taxi and ask to be dropped at your hotel. I'm reading a book about three UN workers (thanks Suey, must get that back to you...) and one recounts asking directions in Haiti, to which he receives 'the usual wave in the general direction'. That's exactly how it is....no help at all.

Try going to the toilet in France, it's also not easy. Apparently the government has taken away a lot of the old pissoires, consequently most cities have a definite aroma of piss! Some have been replaced with the automatic opening ones, like downtown Taree. During our jaunt yesterday, Tim successfully used one of these but as I went in and proceeded, the door suddenly opened again! Luckily I didn't have my jeans down....yet. I tried again but no, the door kept opening. I could write a whole blog about toilets but I'll save you........

'Motorbike' transport is de rigeur in France. Mostly scooters of course but also many mid size Triumphs and Jap bikes. This consequently makes me think of Kim. He would have loved this (not that I think I could travel with him, ha ha). There is the odd Harley but it is a novelty. Riders are very cavalier and their moves between the traffic occasionally make you wince in anticipation.

Currently we are on the train from Marseilles to Nice. It is traveling right alone the coast and is just how you imagine the French Riveira to be.

Go Jessica Watson!!!