Postcard from Italy - May 2006
I left London on a wet and grey Sunday; had an excellent meal on board BA to Pisa with a couple of small bottles of champagne! Was eventually met and driven to Florence where I checked into my little hotel right next to the Ponte Vecchio. Sue Sheridan, who was already in Florence, came over to see me. We had a drink on the roof of my hotel – a delightful spot with a wonderful view, and then walked to her hotel for a chat with our guide, before going out for a very nice pasta and back to bed.
On Monday Sue was busy with her choirmates, so I walked Florence all day! It was a lovely day and strolled for miles and miles and even climbed the Campanile. In the evening went to Sue’s excellent concert in the church of the Annunziata which didn’t start until 9.10. Dined with them all afterwards. Got back to my hotel at 1.15am! Woke up late the next day and after breakfast joined Sue on another walk of Florence; after visiting Santa Croce we climbed to Piazzale Michelangelo from where we got a wonderful view of Florence on another glorious day. Enjoyed a glass up there, and after a bit more walking back down in Florence we had a late lunch and called it a day – both exhausted. In the evening we met in the Republic Square and had an excellent dinner at a nearby restaurant. We were both home in our hotels early for a good night’s sleep.
On Wednesday morning I was picked up by our driver, Jacqui at 8am, we then picked up Sue and drove on to Arezzo where we spent a couple of hours walking around the delightful little town in glorious sunshine. From there we drove on to Sansepolcro where we saw the famous picture of the Resurrection. We had an excellent lunch in a nearby restaurant before moving on for a wonderful afternoon in Assisi – a truly magnificent place. We walked around the whole Basilca and then relaxed with a glass of wine in the sunshine. We then drove on to our home for the next two nighnights – La Pregheira – a wonderful old converted monastry run by an English gent and Uruguayan lady. That evening we went out for a delicious, and cheap, meal locally with our driver, Jacqui.
On Thursday we set off early for Perugia, where we had an excellent guide for a couple of hours in glorious sunshine. It is a fascinating place and it was good to have a guide to show us around. After a drink in the sunshine we drove on to Lake Trasimeno and did a bit of shopping for local delicacies in Castiglione del Lago where we had an excellent lunch in a little restaurant overlooking the Lake. After that we drove on to the delightful little town of Cortona for a short walk around the city before driving back to La Pregheira for an excellent if expensive dinner in house.
In the morning we had a bit of a lie-in before driving to Montepulciano where we had a wonderful walk around this little town in glorious sunshine. We had a lovely lunch in little local cafe, and then on to the tiny little pretty towns of Pienza and Montalcino to see the local sights, finishing up with a glass at the wine bar in the ramparts of the fort at Montalcino. In the evening we drove on to Siena and checked into our local hotel, Palazzo Ravizza, where we had a nice dinner. The next morning in glorious weather we went off at 8.30 to San Gimignano for a lovely walk around the towered city. Then on to the delightful walled city of Monteriggioni where we had an early lunch before driving back to Siena. There we gave ourselves an ice cream in the Piazza del Campo before meeting up with our guide for a two and a half walk around the City, eventually getting back to our hotel at 6pm! That evening we took our guide out for a nice dinner in Siena, then home to pack up for an early start on Sunday morning to catch our flight to London.
On Monday Sue was busy with her choirmates, so I walked Florence all day! It was a lovely day and strolled for miles and miles and even climbed the Campanile. In the evening went to Sue’s excellent concert in the church of the Annunziata which didn’t start until 9.10. Dined with them all afterwards. Got back to my hotel at 1.15am! Woke up late the next day and after breakfast joined Sue on another walk of Florence; after visiting Santa Croce we climbed to Piazzale Michelangelo from where we got a wonderful view of Florence on another glorious day. Enjoyed a glass up there, and after a bit more walking back down in Florence we had a late lunch and called it a day – both exhausted. In the evening we met in the Republic Square and had an excellent dinner at a nearby restaurant. We were both home in our hotels early for a good night’s sleep.
On Wednesday morning I was picked up by our driver, Jacqui at 8am, we then picked up Sue and drove on to Arezzo where we spent a couple of hours walking around the delightful little town in glorious sunshine. From there we drove on to Sansepolcro where we saw the famous picture of the Resurrection. We had an excellent lunch in a nearby restaurant before moving on for a wonderful afternoon in Assisi – a truly magnificent place. We walked around the whole Basilca and then relaxed with a glass of wine in the sunshine. We then drove on to our home for the next two nighnights – La Pregheira – a wonderful old converted monastry run by an English gent and Uruguayan lady. That evening we went out for a delicious, and cheap, meal locally with our driver, Jacqui.
On Thursday we set off early for Perugia, where we had an excellent guide for a couple of hours in glorious sunshine. It is a fascinating place and it was good to have a guide to show us around. After a drink in the sunshine we drove on to Lake Trasimeno and did a bit of shopping for local delicacies in Castiglione del Lago where we had an excellent lunch in a little restaurant overlooking the Lake. After that we drove on to the delightful little town of Cortona for a short walk around the city before driving back to La Pregheira for an excellent if expensive dinner in house.
In the morning we had a bit of a lie-in before driving to Montepulciano where we had a wonderful walk around this little town in glorious sunshine. We had a lovely lunch in little local cafe, and then on to the tiny little pretty towns of Pienza and Montalcino to see the local sights, finishing up with a glass at the wine bar in the ramparts of the fort at Montalcino. In the evening we drove on to Siena and checked into our local hotel, Palazzo Ravizza, where we had a nice dinner. The next morning in glorious weather we went off at 8.30 to San Gimignano for a lovely walk around the towered city. Then on to the delightful walled city of Monteriggioni where we had an early lunch before driving back to Siena. There we gave ourselves an ice cream in the Piazza del Campo before meeting up with our guide for a two and a half walk around the City, eventually getting back to our hotel at 6pm! That evening we took our guide out for a nice dinner in Siena, then home to pack up for an early start on Sunday morning to catch our flight to London.
posted by Anne Bullen | 10:40 PM
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