Day 35. Arrivederci

The village of Belgirate is so off the tourist map that it does not even get a mention in the Italian edition of Lonely Planet.

The little town is set on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, which is shared between Northern Italy and Switzerland.

Our walk today is unplanned, unmapped, unhurried and unbelievable. We walk along the unspoiled lake admiring the villas, gardens, parks and snow capped mountains in the distance. This playground of the 19^th Century nuevo rich is now a little down at heel but still retains its historic elegance. We walk to Lesa, the next village, and climb the hill into the old town unspoiled by tourists yet dripping with charm. We discover a cobbled lane that becomes a dirt track winding behind the village and linking Lesa to the village of Bilgirate. From here we look down into the grand gardens of the villas below. Some are beautifully manicured, others are over grown with privet, bamboo and blackberries.

Our hotel is criticized on Trip Advisor for being run down, with 1970s décor. In reality the décor is trapped in a 1950s time warp, which is actually delightfully retro. The staff are friendly, the risotto with mushroom, cheese and pear is sublime and the view is unbridled while the music playing softly in the background is Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.

Unexpectedly, after dinner as we prepare to pack to come home, we hear a brass band playing in the street below. We throw on our warm clothes and rush downstairs to investigate and join the 9pm candle lit memorial procession through the narrow cobbled streets of the village in remembrance of the one who died for our sins. The march ends in a church service short on words but big on emotion, theatre and passion. We are moved and humbled to be included in the village’s Good Friday adoration. As they pass the peace we are greeted as family.

So ends Un Momento Prego (one moment – if you please). We are very grateful to have had this opportunity to explore many wonderful places and are so pleased that you, our friends and family have been able to share the adventure with us.

We are looking forward to coming home, but sad to leave Italia.

Arrivederci

Day 33,34. Touristica

On route to our penultimate destination we detour to visit Italy’s most famous civil engineering mistake, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We find the tower a little out of town in a surprisingly grassy square. It is surrounded by other magnificent marble buildings, which are all very square to the horizon. We are amused by the truckloads of tourists all posing for the same photo, pretending to hold the tower up – we resist. The tower is impressive and the lean certainly makes you feel a little off centre.

By mid afternoon we are at La Spiaggia Hotel, Monterosso. The owner of the hotel, an overweight bald Italian, who bares a considerable likeness to Richard’s late father, gives us a nonchalant run down on the walks around the Cinque Terra and then without another word walks off to attend to other business. We get the impression we were required to be grateful for any words from the great man.

We catch the train to the furthest town (Riomaggiore) with a group of Italian hikers who are very conscientious about their sport. Their clothing, backpacks, boots, scarves and hiking sticks indicate they are serious walkers. As they get off the train the excitement level is feverish and we are a little overwhelmed by their passion. Sadly, the classic walk between the five famous towns is mostly closed due to the bad flooding in 2011, but there are many other hiking options through the hills above. On advice we catch a bus to Volastra, a town high up in the hills and like Amalfi we enjoy a wonderful and challenging walk descending through terraced agriculture to the picturesque hill top town of Corniglia. In contrast to the very serious Italian hikers we meet a family from Perth who are hiking in thongs (flip flops). She’ll be right!

The weather is a warm 22 degrees and the grey sand and pebbled beach is crowded with Europeans desperate for some sun. It’s all rather wonderful, but when it comes to beaches…it’s not exactly the Mid North Coast.

Days 30-32. Bentornato

On route back to the north, we stop at the fascinating town east of Rome, Tivoli. Much loved by those on their 18^th Century Grand Tour, Tivoli is famous for its garden and especially its waterfalls. Recent improvements by the Italian National Trust allowed us to walk around, down and past the natural and manmade flood mitigation falls.

Our second stop was Umbria’s stunning town Orvieto, perched on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff (nice wiki description). At the centre of this small stonewalled town is the huge and magnificent white limestone and green basalt striped cathedral, which dates back to the 13^th century. The gold and artwork on the outside are staggering, the inside as described by Wendy is marble, magnificent and very empty.

Near Florence we find our accommodation for three days, a villa in Tuscany. Villa il Poggiale is a 16^th century Renaissance family home now a tasteful guest house. We explore local villages, mingle with the locals at markets, discover more history and of course eat. 

 

An unexpected highlight occurs as we are driving to a village north east of Florence. The Navlady tries to direct us through the middle of the city but we turn her off!  Detouring on maps and prayer we end up at the carpark near Piazzale Michelangelo with a panoramic view of the city and Duomo. At this point the first miracle occurs – we find a parking spot. Then a second miracle occurs- the car park is free (unique in Italy)! So we treck down the hill and across the river to spend the afternoon in Florence. Wendy, (the micro planner) remembers instantly the treasures missed, when we were in Florence for two days in 2008, so we explore the Medici Pitti Palace and soak up the sun in their extravagant backyard- the Bobili gardens.

We loved the south of Italy, but we feel the Quadrio northern Italian heritage whispering Bentornato (welcome back).