From Naples, after the ferry from Capri, we head off to Assisi. We headed back up the motorway until we got to Rome, skirted around Rome, and headed inland up into the mountains. We were heading for Assisi and the Basilica of St Frances of Assisi. But first we stop in Perugia at the Giuditta Brozzetti Atelier Museum, one of the last remaining hand-weaving workshops in Italy, where ancient looms from the 18th and 19th centuries are still in operation. In the fascinating and unique setting of the Church of San Francesco delle Donne in Perugia, ancient weaving techniques are preserved, and the looms are still used today to create fabrics that embody Umbria’s art and culture. Their decorative motifs are present in the paintings of Giotto, Ghirlandaio, and Leonardo da Vinci – ‘The Last Supper’ tablecloth is a Perugian cloth. The looms were demonstrated along with interesting facts about their operation. It takes 12 days work just to thread one of the big looms even before a cloth is started!
We then ventured onto the hotel at Assisi and checked in. We had a little while to rest and clean up before we ventured out again for dinner at Spello. Spello is a little south of Assisi and is a medieval town built on Roman ruins that has kept its historical charm. After a short walk around the town centre, we went on to dinner. Traditional Umbrian fare is served in a completely different way than how we are used to, with each food item coming out and being served up separately. The original Roman road is there to be seen under the restaurant floor. The party started with a few more bottles of wine being consumed than is normal by some of our fellow travellers, singing and hilarity were the order of the evening!
On Friday we had an earlyish start. We headed up to the old town of Assisi and the Basilica. We had a walking tour through the Basilica followed by a little free time in the town. The history of the frescos and the artists was very interesting and the views over the valley from the balconies were great. Photos inside were not allowed, pics are file photos.
Back on the road and we arrived in Venice about 4pm. Water taxis had been arranged to take us down through the Grand Canal to the waterfront at the lagoon. Trafalgar didn’t just organise taxis for us all to cram into, the tour director ensured we had enough water taxis booked so there was only a maximum of 8 per taxi (7 in ours). Everyone was able to get access to a spot to view and take pics, and not be jam-packed inside the cabin! It was a great trip down the Grand Canal, so much life & activity, so many boats!
Once out of the taxis, we walked along the waterfront to our next activity, a gondola cruise through the canals of Venice. 3 or 4 to a gondola so not crowded at all. We went with Kelly & Lynn, 2 ladies from Michigan, it’s Kelly’s pre-retirement celebration trip 😊. There’s a good bunch on our bus tour, everyone gets on really well. We took a peaceful glide through the narrow canals, half expecting the gondolier to sing Italian songs. As that didn’t eventuate, I played Pavarotti singing opera as we glided along, this fitted the bill perfectly. Seemed the gondolier was pretty chuffed by it all too!
What a full day! But a really good day! Angie is in love with being in Venice. We all got on one large water taxi to take us to the island of Lido and our hotel. After dinner at the hotel, we all crashed for the night, ready for another big day tomorrow!
Saturday started with a water taxi to the island of Murano, the specialist glass-makers’ island. Glass making was moved from the main island of Venice to Murano due to the fire danger. Murano glass is, of course, world famous and quite different from the ‘knock-off’ glass items in the shops in Venice. We had a glass-blowing and sculpture-making demonstration before the differences in glass products were highlighted. The glass creations were magnificent, from decanter & glass sets, vases, to chandeliers and large glass sculptures. The quality of the pieces was apparent even to us amateurs. Having secured a small absolutely gorgeous item to take home, we were chatting to one of the older showroom attendants and subsequently got a private tour upstairs to the private showrooms. Photos are not allowed anywhere in the showrooms, due to the originality of all the designs, but this gentleman ensured we had a photo with an enormous chandelier on display!
After a while there, we were on board the water taxi again making our way to Venice. We had a walking tour through the central part of Venice, ending at St. Mark’s Square with a drink shouted by Trafalgar at one of the piazza cafes with a band playing in the background. From there we had free time, explored the Square, wandered through the back alleys, and of course, shopped. Straight away we were able to see the difference in the glasswork available in the shops here – cheap knockoffs! The day had turned out to be quite hot so the little side alleys were perfect, narrow so lots of shade and the breeze blows through from the lagoon.
Aboard another water taxi for an excursion around the lagoon, ending up at the island of Burano. This village’s houses are all painted in different vivid colours making it quite a sight. It is also known for its traditional lace-making. It’s primarily a fishing village but its colourful houses have made it a popular stop on the tourist trail. It also has a leaning bell tower (St.Martino) that rivals Pisa and Venice. We stopped and had a nice dinner here before making our way back by water taxi to the Island of Lido and our hotel, with a nice sunset over the lagoon on the way back.
An early start on Sunday as we headed off from Venice. We’re all on the bus and then on board a car/truck ferry for the mainland behind Venice. Then we had a long drive to Montecatini, a small town between Pisa and Florence. After checking into the hotel and wandering down to the town square for a bite of lunch, we headed off to Pisa. Even though it was Sunday, there were heaps of people there. Being a beautifully fine day, the Leaning Tower and the cathedral looked spectacular. Apart from the fact that the tower is leaning, it is a good looking tower. Being multiple flights of steps to climb to the top, it was not something we even considered.
Back on board after being at the Leaning Tower for an hour and we were off to dinner. A Tuscan dinner at a vineyard and olive producer at Luciani, near Montecatini, the Ristorante Fattoria il Poggio. They gave us a mini tour of the farm with the associated education on real Olive Oil. This was the best dinner we’ve had on this bus tour so far and with free-flowing wines, the group took on a real party mood. There was singing and dancing at the venue, which then continued in the aisles on the bus on the way back to the hotel in Montecatini!
Another early start today. We had Florence in our programme for the whole day. The weather has changed completely and storms are on the horizon after lunch. Once dropped off near the centre of town, we trekked our way in to meet our guide for a walking tour. The crowds of tourists are here to compete with but it didn’t cause too much issue. Florence is the centre of gold and leather so one of the first stops was a manufacturing jeweller. The gold work was impressive but if anyone was interested in a piece to buy, they needed a big bank account! After the walking tour, we finished at the Palazzo Vecchio (Vecchio Palace) ready for an extra tour through this. We had gone into the first hall before going through to the palace proper when Angie tripped over a stray foot, falling heavily on the marble floor. A good bang on the head and knee, and wrenched her wrist. She endeavoured to continue the tour with the group but didn’t get far up the first staircase when we had to call it a day. The Tour Director turned up pretty quickly, Police brought an ice pack, and after a bit, we made our way to a cafe out in the square and stopped for an hour or so for her to recover. A wrist support and dressings for the scraped knee were sourced at a local pharmacy. After a good rest time, we made our way to the Ponte Vecchio (the bridge with all the shops on it from medieval times). We had completed our look around when the storms arrived, and it rained!! By the time we had all made our way back to meet the bus, the rain had abated enabling us to get the panoramic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo on the hill opposite.
Trafalgar provided dinner for us all at a farm/ristorante, Agriturismo Borgo della Limonaia, not far from Montecatini. The next day, it’s back to Rome for the end of our bus tour, and the culmination of Euro25, and what will be the last issue of the Euro blog.
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