Italy
Holidays - Part 2
15 September 2015
One of the reasons for going to Italy was to visit the Cinque Terre - 5 small villages clinging to a steep hillside overlooking the Mediterranean and now part of a Unesco World Heritage site.
Pretty they are - but boy are they spoilt! Despite care with cars (you can only get there by train) they are just too touristy. A real disappointment.
But we did find a charming little seaside town called Levanto just north of the Cinque Terre - with such a lovely atmosphere.
A medieval centre
No crowds!
Charming restaurants at sensible prices! (Cinque Terre was eye waveringly expensive!)
But possibly the highlight of the holiday was a visit to the marble quarries of Carrara. Clinging to the mountainside above this ancient town, the Carrara quarries have been used since the Roman times and Michelangelo sourced the marble for 'David' there.
There are guided tours up to the big quarries on the top of the mountain.
And you can visit the smaller quarries lower down.
The purer, whiter the marble the more valuable it is.
Despite controls and conservation, the top of the peak has been removed here.
The lorries thunder up and down hairpin mountain roads with blocks of marble on the back.
And everywhere is covered in a white powder - the marble dust.
Holidays
12 September 2015
If you are wondering where I have been lately, I can tell you - to Italy.
If you have popped by here before you may know that Spain is my usual holiday destination, but this year we went to Northern Italy instead.
It was the first time that I have been there and I am sure I will be going back!
We started in La Spezia, a busy port about an hour north of Pisa.
Fishing boats and container ships.
And then we drove inland to a little village called Fosdinovo - and I kid you not, we stayed in that castle.
But there was a grander entrance at the front.
The views from the roof were spectacular.
The village underneath the castle
and the sea beyond.
And spectacular sunsets enjoyed from the tower (with a glass of wine and an impromptu picnic supper).
And spot the ghosts!
The slightly eccentric local shop provided for our picnic suppers (yes, he was hanging from the ceiling in the local shop! He is aiming his bow and arrow at his twin!)
as this spectacular crack was under the alter end!
If you have popped by here before you may know that Spain is my usual holiday destination, but this year we went to Northern Italy instead.
It was the first time that I have been there and I am sure I will be going back!
We started in La Spezia, a busy port about an hour north of Pisa.
Fishing boats and container ships.
And we ate ice cream!
And climbed the hill to the castle to see the view over the bay (to justify the ice cream!)
The B&B entrance was tucked around the back.
But there was a grander entrance at the front.
The views from the roof were spectacular.
The village underneath the castle
and the sea beyond.
And spectacular sunsets enjoyed from the tower (with a glass of wine and an impromptu picnic supper).
The rooms were comfortable but not ostentatious. But they all contained little gems.
And the castle was also a museum, and at night we were just able to wander around.
The slightly eccentric local shop provided for our picnic suppers (yes, he was hanging from the ceiling in the local shop! He is aiming his bow and arrow at his twin!)
But we were not sure that the wrath of God had not been visited on the church
as this spectacular crack was under the alter end!
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