Can you imagine my surprise when about a year and a half ago, when Alex and I still had the jewellery business, I received an e-mail from an Italian guy I met years ago? I met Fabio for the first time some 14 years ago, whilst on a ferry going from Italy to the Greek Islands! Out of nowhere I receive an e-mail asking if it was really me! To cut a long story short, Fabio googled my name, and up I came! Remember that we had a business web site, so my name came up immediately. Come on, how many Ombretta Zanettis are there in Australia? Needless to say, I promptly e-mailed back, and before we knew it, we had set up “skype date” (I repeat, computer technology…..where would we be without it?) We were soon chatting away like no time had passed, and I promised that I would swing through Italy, as you do, when we passed through on our upcoming world trip.

So, some 17 months later and 11 months into our trip, I contacted Fabio to say that we were coming. Although both originally from Napoli, Fabio and Federica now live in Perugia. We only spent a night in Perugia, but spent a truly wonderful day with Fabio and his family, which included his sister Rosalba, brother-in-law and nephew, as well as Federica’s mum, Bianca. Fabio and his brother-in-law Andrea came to pick us up at the train station, and gave us a whirlwind tour of Perugia, before going back to his house. Besides catching up on 12 years worth of news (I saw Fabio again 2 years after I met him), we also…….surprise, surprise, ate copious amounts of food! Only eat once a day in Italy….that’s all day!! Sauteed eggplant, mozzarella, salami, prosciutto, olives, bread, pasta alla bechemel, pizza (from Federica’s dad’s pizzeria in Naples), wine, mineral water, not to mention the birthday cake, which was one big baba , with swirls of whipped cream on the top! It does not get better than this! How many more times can I say that Italy is a foodies Mecca? You will certainly hear it a few more times before this blog’s out!

It was only a day, but we packed in a lot, both conversationally and food wise. Fabio had organised….you know with the Italian connection thing….for us to stay in the Holiday Inn, at a very reasonable price. I’m not going to lie, it was so tremendous to be able to lie in a bed with an A-1 mattress and a pillow that was neither Mt Kosciusko nor as thin as a piece of rice paper. The buffet breakfast was excellent to say the least, oh and the “complimentary” lunch (aka the continuation of the buffet breakfast) was not too bad either. Our splurge was short lived, as we had to get up early as we were off to Naples.

We went to Naaapuli (as the Neapolitans pronounce it) via train, and on the way met a lovely lady called Michela. Unfortunately, due to time restrictions, we did not take Michela up on her offer to go and visit her, but, we will next time. I promise you Michela!

As they say in Italy, “Vedi Napoli e muore“, or as we would say in English, “See Naples and die”. Naples, you either love it or you hate it! I love it, and can never get enough. It’s crazy, frenetic, dirty, unorganised, exotic, seedy…..bring it on, this is Naples! There simply is not another place on earth like it! And every time I go back, I am reminded of my roots, and of course my mother! As much as I am proudly Australian, Naples always shows me who I really am, and where I come from…..definitely a “figlia di napolitana” (daughter of a Neapolitan). Despite being famous for Sophia Loren and pizza, I am much more inclined to say that Italy’s sfogliatelle should be the show stealers! What, you do not know what sfogliatelle are. Now, THAT is a culinary crime! Did I mention the coffee? Again, bring it on! There I go again, it really IS all about food!

Now the reason I really jammed Naples onto the agenda when time is burning ( I am now constantly hearing my ticket calling out its expiry date!), is that my mum’s first cousin, Giovanni, would be here at the same time. I have visited Giovanni a few time in the USA where he lives with his family, and he has also been to Australia, the most recent being only a year and a half ago. Now, 11 months into an around-the -world trip, we would be in the same country at the same time, when his trip was only a total of two and a half weeks. This was an opportunity that I was going to miss for nothing!

When we arrived we ended up at a place called Hostel of the Sun, very close to the heart of the city. It was run and owned by the very affable and very Neapolitan, Luca, and his excellent staff. From Tiziana, Gemma and Carla, on the front desk, to Taty (originally from the Dominican Republic…which I guessed!) in the kitchen, they were all super friendly and entertaining. I have to say, I just love Neapolitans and southern Italians! I can really see the “me” in “them” and I just love their warmth,vitality and love of life. It is, without a doubt, a southern Italian trait! Despite the chaos and the hardship, they always seem to find a way! As the Neapolitans say, ” ’ca nisciun’ è fesso“, which loosely translates to, “here, nobody’s an idiot”. In the face of adversity, they always seem to find a solution!

I have to confess that it is my favourite place in Italy, and further more, the first time in Europe on this trip that I felt at home. Europe is lovely, too lovely for me in fact, and it is mostly very organised……and then you reach Naples, and you have to cope with a million sights, sounds, smells and situations. I like this hustle and bustle. Safe may have been part of what I enjoyed 18 years ago, but after the likes of Central and South America, I am much more into adventure and culture. Europe for me has become too easy, which also extracts some of the fun. To be perfectly honest, and it is only my opinion, it now sits comfortably in the 3 O’s bracket: over-rated, over-priced and over-populated! There are a lot of places on earth that are far more exciting and that really do give you more bang for your buck! The only bang for your buck in Europe, is the one that almost kills you every time you go and pay for something, which is almost always ludicrously expensive!

You cannot see it all, but we tried to fit in a few of Naples’ sights, including the Amalfi Coast. “Dramatic scenery” is an understatement, and nothing really prepares you for the narrow roads (The Great Ocean Road move over!) that wind precipitously around 50 kilometres of sheer rock face. There are a number of little towns where you can stop off and take a look see, perhaps the most famous two being Amalfi and Positano. Both famous and beautiful they attract hordes of tourists. Despite their beauty, again they were obscenely over priced, but I could have almost coped with that, if it was not for the quadrillion people there……shopping on things they could have bought at home! Hello, we are in Italy, take a bit of a look at the spectacular surrounding scenery! No better buy that leather handbag that I can buy $5.00 cheaper than at home! Why go to Italy, when you can go to China! No sorry, China now comes to you, albeit politically and economically incorrect, as well as at a much cheaper price! I am cheeky, aren’t I!

We visited museums and palaces, strolled through the historical centre, visited the Palazzo Reale, which was the former official residence of the Bourbon and Savoy Kings, but we mostly just strolled, ate lots of sfogliatelle (well, me anyway!) had copious espressos (the best in Italy!), and just soaked it all up!

Drum roll……………………….and then was our day with Giovanni. He had been on the island of Capri (no, we did not get there this time), and we were supposed to meet him at midday, as he arrived by ferry in Naples, but we missed each other. Long story, but we called him on his mobile and met him at the hotel he was staying at close by. As we arrived, he was there to meet us at the front door of the hotel, where a number of hugs and kisses promptly followed. It was so wonderful to be able to see him again, and we both stared at each other in disbelief! We had seen each other in Australia and the USA and now in Italy! It all seemed a bit surreal really! After a couple of hours in the hotel chilling and chatting, we went out for a stroll. We had our own personal guide as Giovanni was raised in Napoli. He took us to Caffe Gambrinus, which is Naples’ oldest and one of its fanciest cafes. It is supposed to be a haunt for artists, intellectuals and musicians. Luckily I do not lack self esteem or confidence, as my shorts, singlet top and hiking shoes were no match for the flashy designer gear which surrounded me. He then showed us the home of the first and original shop which made and sold Naples’ famous Pizza Margarita.

After going “home” to get changed into something a “little more decent” (I dare you to find “decent” in a backpack which has been hauling mostly the same clothes for 11 months!), we went to Giovanni’s sports club in Posilippo, which is where he used to hang out and do sport as a young man, before leaving his beloved Italy. Sports clubs in Italy are a little hard to describe as we do not really have an equivalent in Australia. They are more like a cross between a sporting and a social club…..any excuse to be able to mesh friendship, drinking, coffee and food. I say cheers to that one. Giovanni showed us around the club, which sits right on the spectacular Neapolitan Harbour, and introduced us to many of his old friends. We then sat down to an exquisite, creme de la creme dinner, whom he also invited his close friend Corrado too. Great food, amazing company, mind blowing scenery. Need I say or describe more!

After dinner, Corrado took the four of us in his car, and showed us Naples from above. By this time it was dark, and the lights illuminated the bay in such a way that…..just when you thought it could not possibly get any more spectacular, it could and it did! Ah yes, I had seen Naples and I was almost ready to die, but not quite! We still had Rome to do! Corrado then dropped us off at our hostel, and we both gave Giovannino, as we fondly refer to him, a big hug and lots of kisses goodbye. Not before telling him that I loved him of course! I believe that if you love someone, tell them! Life is short, and people are not mind readers! I told Giovanni that we would see each other again, and I meant it! We looked at each other with that look which is hard to describe but which comes from a soul level, and we both felt it.

Next morning we were off to Rome, but not before one last sfogliatella and a couple of good espressos. I am starting to sound like all we did in Italy was eat, which wouldn’t be too far off the bat really. I am also sounding like I am obsessed with food…again, in Italy, that would not be too far off the bat either!

Rome…..get in at 4.00pm, already had hotel booked, hotel had a leaky plumbing system, moved to another but better and cheaper room in an apartment close by, visited Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, St Peters Basilica, Vatican City, Piazza Navona, throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain (one was for the soul of our dearly loved and now parted friend, Giulia Arcuri, who we knew loved Italy, loved Rome and loved life!), Piazza di Spagna, walk all over the central part of Rome (due to its enormity, it would thus be fair to say that we walked SOME of the central area and not its entirety)….. huff, huff, puff, puff…….catch train from Roma Termini Station to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, check in and…..fly from Rome to Barcelona the next day at 5.30pm! Did you get that? No? We barely did either! Having decided to spend an extra day in Naples, we knew we would not be able to do all that much in Rome. Well at least we thought we wouldn’t, but we sure gave it our best shot. Had not really expected to arrive at the Clayton’s Room either (the room you’ve got when you haven’t got a room!). It did subtract us from an extra hour of playtime, but it was a brilliant self-contained room in a plushy apartment block, which was a welcome surprise. It just meant that we were flat stick for almost 24 hours! Needless to say, we collapsed in the plane and I slept for the entirety of the short trip to Bar-thelona! (That’s how they say it in Spain!)

Rome is big, overwhelming, and has a remarkable history, and 2700 years worth at that. Being in Rome is like tripping over one of your child’s toys. You are constantly “bumping” into or “walking” into things that you had not previously seen or noticed! I love the way in which the new city has simply been built around these enormous toys! Oops, monuments!

St Peter’s Basilica just blew me away, but not necessarily in such a wonderful way. It truly is spectacular, and a work of art, but each time I see it, I am overwhelmed by a multitude of things. One of these things is trying to reconcile how an institution as great and wealthy as this one can have so much, whilst so many have so little! It does not make any sense to me at all! Whilst people are lining up for hours and hours and hours to get into the Vatican Museums close by, and paying a small fortune I might add, there are people all over the world dying of starvation. I just don’t quite get it! I wonder about the priorities of both people and institutions. And I feel saddened, very saddened in fact. It’s a conspiracy……. I always thought that 2 plus 2 equalled 4.

“Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.” -Unknown

Dedication: This one is for our beloved friend Giulia Arcuri, who died a little over a year ago. You are always in our hearts and thoughts, but in Rome your light was shining brightly. We love and miss you. And for you too Maria (Brancolino), who was Giulia’s best friend. Your constant and unfloundering devotion and care towards Giulia taught Alex and I what true and unconditional love is all about. May love and light always protect you both.

Ombi

Next: Spain, begining with Bar-thelona.

(Photos: 1.- Perugia, Umbria. 2.- Lunch at Fabio’s. L to R: Alex, Fabio, Andrea, Antonio, Rosalba, Federica and Bianca. 3.- With Fabio and Federica. 4.- Having a sfogliatella in Amalfi. 5.- Munching on a pizza napoletaaaana in Spaccanapoli. 6.- At the Hostel of the Sun, where breakfast is included, nuttela is king! 7.- Positano, Amalfi Coast. 8.- Ombi & Giovannino at the Posilipo Sporting Club. 9.- Ombi, Giovannino & Corrado at the club, with the bay of Naples in the background. 10.- Night view of Naples. 11.- Neapolitan delicacies. 12.- A 21st century Roman gladiator….having a smoke!. 12.- A beggar in Rome.)

Ah, Florence, it has always been one of my favourite European cities, and again, it did not fail to disappoint, for many reasons. We were to arrive at 9.30ish on a Saturday night, and I was all excited. I was sooooooooooooo looking forward to seeing my friend Irma again, after having seen her the last time in Australia 10 years ago. This time, however, it would be with a husband and a two and a half year old little boy called Giovanni. As we approached the train station, I began to get butterflies in my tummy, as I was so keen to see Irma again. Although I appeared calm, I could barely contain my excitement, which Alex (who can basically read me like a book!) picked up instantaneously. I had thrown on my backpack before the train actually came to a halt, and when it did, I scrambled off along with the multitude of others. As I “casually” strode through the crowds towards the main platform, my eyes strained to see if I could spot that famous crop of brown curly hair. Irma saw me first, and screamed out my name. As I hurled my the smaller of my two backpacks into the (expecting!) arms of Alex, Irma and I ran towards each reminiscent of that very well known scene from the (now very old!) movie “Chariots of Fire”. We hugged and kissed, and hugged again! We were both overcome with emotion!

As we introduced each other’s families to one another, we kept looking at each other as if we were in a dream, whilst hugging some more! Irma and I met in 1993, whilst I was travelling through the USA, after having worked on a Summer Camp in the country. To cut a long story short, we had both been staying at a Youth Hostel in Washington DC, and when I saw a girl dangling an “expresso bag” (yes, that’s expresso, as in coffee, as opposed to tea!), I figured she HAD to be Italian! I went up and asked her, and that is pretty much where and how the friendship started. Some years later, we would even holiday together in Greece and Turkey. These are without a doubt, some of my most cherished travel memories, as I travelled with someone who was as loud, extroverted and crazy as me!

Irma was also expecting her Norwegian friend, Hans, who would be arriving on Sunday and would be staying for 10 days. The funny thing is that I had also met Hans, all those years ago, whilst Irma and I were in Greece! That two of her dearest friends should be visiting her at the same time was rather incredible. As Irma’s place is rather small, it was decided that Hans would stay with Irma, and Alex and I with her fantastic and amazing mum, Graziella, who lives just up the road. The first night, however, we did stay with Irma, and needless to say, we stayed up and chatted for ages.

We ended up staying in Florence for a week. During the day we would walk to the city centre, go sightseeing or just relax, and night times would be spent catching up with Irma, who works during the day, her husband, Valentino, and Giovanni. As it was rather hot, this included hanging out in the park nearby her home and munching on some local pizza, or bringing some food from home. I repeat, bad food simply does not exist in Italy! From buffalo mozzarella (not to mention all the other amazing cheeses) to the porcini mushrooms made up into a risotto…..it had Alex and I constantly licking our chops! Some of the best gelati we have had to date came from a little gelateria near Graziella’s place, called Arte del Gelato………..and what about the tiramisu? We had many OMG (Oh My God) food moments in Italy.

One day Graziella took Alex and I, as well as Hans, to Carrara , about an hour north west of Florence, on the Ligurian Sea. It is a graceful town, picturesquely nestled amongst famous marble hills. The marble from the area is said to be amongst some of the best in the world. We even did a “Marmo Tour” ( Marble Tour ) which took us through the caves created to extract marble. Considering the weight of even a small piece of marble, the explanations accompanying the extraction of huge slabs was mind blowing! For those of you who have, and have paid a small fortune for your marble-topped kitchen benches, I can now honestly say that I understand why!

On another day Irma took the day off and we all went to visit her sister, Letizia, and her family who were on vacation, at a beach only an hour and a half away from Florence. The last time I saw Letizia…there was only Letizia…..her repertoire now includes her husband, Andrea, and their three beautiful boys, Mattia, Romeo and Dante. We had a very chilled out day, catching up on the last 12 years, absorbing some rays on the beach, and, for something different in Italy…………..eating………albeit at intervals……all day!

The subject of food seems to come up constantly in Italy, so let’s go with it! I cannot properly describe what an amazing cook Graziella is! Whether she took her time cooking or slapped it together, it was good, good, good! Having said that, top quality virgin olive oil is Queen in her house, as in the homes of many Italians. They may skimp on other things, but it will never be on food and top quality ingredients! That would be akin to sacrilegious! Speaking of sacrilegious, can somebody PLEASE tell me about McDonald’s in Italy? This should be a crime demanding a minimum three month jail term! I’m not even going there, except to say…………. “Ma chi ti conosce!!!!!!!!!” (This one is for you Laura, and Isabella too).

Of course, we also took the time to do the centre of Florence and her tourist sights. This included the famous Piazza del Duomo and the Uffizzi Gallery , home to the world’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance Art. Nothing much had changed…… Due to the long line and security, the Uffizzi Gallery still took forever to get into, as one of the most visited places in the world, and drinking coffee once you placed your butt on a chair in a bar nearly tripled the price! Of course we stood at the bar and drank it……. I should say “them”, as the daily dose superceded one almost immediately upon waking. Don’t worry, I fully indulged my caffeine passion in Italy!

After more than a week of relaxing, sightseeing and indulging…..in many things……it was again time to move on. We were acutely aware that time was a tickin’, and D day approaching. Our ticket expires on the 18th August, and we were wondering how we were going to do the rest of Italy, Spain, Morocco, Paris, Hong Kong, Japan,Vietnam and Thailand in this time….. Watch this space! (Read……..we have no idea either, so keep following the journey, and watch it evolve!)

Saying goodbye to Irma was hard, as I wondered when we would see each other again. Saying goodbye to Graziella, who I truly consider a great friend too, was not as hard, as she is planning to visit Australia early next year. As we hopped on the early train from Florence to Perugia, I thought about my wonderful life, my amazing travels and exploration of the world, and the fantastic people I have met, and remained friends with along the way. This is always a thorn in my side upon my return home, as many of my most treasured friends do not live in Australia.

Ombi

Note: Two more surprise catch ups in Italy!

“The money you have gives you freedom; the money you pursue enslaves you.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau.

(Photos: 1.- Irma, Ombi & Giovanni. 2.- View of Florence from the Boboli Gardens, Pitti Palace, Florence. 3.- Dinner at Irma´s. L to R: Valentino, Alex, Graziella, Giovanni, Irma & Hans. 4.- Pizza in the park. L to R: Alberto, Giovanni, Irma,Valentino, Hans & Ombi. 5.- Marmo Tour, Carrara. 6.- Catching up with Letizia (Irma´s sister) & her family at the beach. 7.- Ombi & Graziella. 8.- Piazza Della Signoria, Florence . 9.- The Egg Mobile! When the going gets tough, the cars gets smaller! One of the solutions to increasing petrol prices, Florence.

They say that Venice is a hauntingly beautiful city. This is very true indeed, but we also found it to be hauntingly expensive! On the train from Pula, we met a lovely young girl, who suggested that we get off at Mestre (which is basically “mainland” Venice), six kilometres from the city centre and have a go at trying to find accomodation there. It is close enough to the main action, but far enough to avoid the prohibitive “island” hotel prices. I should add that we arrived on a Friday, and that there was some type of rock festival on that same weekend, so places were mostly booked out. As I mentioned earlier, that did not deter us, as we were determined to get a glimpse of this famous city, which Alex had never seen before.

Once again, Lady Luck appeared to be on our side. We had armed ourselves, and were awaiting the battle that lay ahead! We were not expecting to find a place quickly nor easily. Once being let off the bus in Mestre, we walked to the information office 50 metres up the road, inside the train station. We could not believe how many people were around, mainly youngsters who had come from all over for the concert. We asked about cheap accomodation and were promptly told that the cheapest option was at a 3-star “budget” hotel close by, which would cost 97 euros per room, including a full buffet breakfast. We were also told us that there were only a few rooms left that were still available. Alex and I looked at each other and promptly accepted! We knew that finding something else at this point would either be impossible, or so time consuming that it would waste enough precious time to write off the day!

It was a short bus ride to the hotel, and we were checked in in no time at all. Was our room worth 97 euros (approximately AUD $160.00)? Absolutely not! But these are the prices here. It was by far the most expensive place we had stayed in since leaving Australia 10 months ago. Although we had missed out on the buffet breakfast that morning, I knew I should not have too much trouble making up for it the next day! Due to the accomodation situation, we had already booked and paid for our train to Florence, which we would leave for the next night. With two full days, we knew we would have a lot of walking to do (so, what’s new?), but we also knew that we would be able to fit in most of the main sights.

By midday, we were on our way to the Venetian city centre. Whilst the area around where we were staying was nothing spectacular, absolutely nothing can take away from the point when you reach that first tiny canal, see the first small bridge and that first cobble-stoned road, or I should say alley-way. Whilst there are neither cars nor motorbikes nor scooters on the islands, there are certainly throngs of people. The Venetians go about their merry way, weaving through what seems like a maze to us, but is really their backyard for them. Despite the masses, each new turn presented another exciting little snippet of life in a city which is built on 117 islands, with some 150 canals and 400 bridges.

Throngs aside, and I do not mean to focus on this, but I really do mean throngs (to qualify this, we catergorically had not seen this many tourists in one place, possibly on our entire trip) we had a whirlwind but fun two days in Venice. It is said that Venice receives some 20 million visitors a year. That is Australia’s entire population!

On that first afternoon, I suggested to Alex that we just wander around and get lost! It really is part of the fun of being in Venice. So, we set off without a fixed agenda! In no time at all we had stopped at a local “salumeria” (basically a place where they sell deli goods, such as ham, prosciutto and cheese), and were buying the ingredients for lunch. A smile swept across my face as I recalled having done this many years before, when I had backpacked Europe alone in my early 20s. Alex’s eyes lit up as the plethora and variety of food loomed in front of him and coaxed him to try it! We both agree, without a doubt, that there is no place on earth with the constant excellent quality of food to be found in Italy. It truly is impossible to find bad food! Regarding the coffee, I would be restating the obvious – it is without a doubt the best in the world!

We were soon sitting on somebody’s doorstep, munching on cheese and sundried tomato (add mortadella and proscitto to Alex’s) pannini, and watching the world go by. And there really is no better place to do this than Venice. If people watching is your thang, and it certainly is ours, it can provide hours of free and fun entertainment. The Italians are, without a doubt, the world’s walking fashion statement! It is a world where looks and style rate above all else. Interesting to observe! Sure, when I was much younger brands seemed to be of utmost importance, but at some point I grew out of it. Here the “older” people wear the likes of Gianni Versace like he only started creating two months ago, and Channel like it only became fashion yesterday……whilst the youngsters wear whatever the catwalks dictated last week! I would like to once again reconfirm that midriff and muffin tops are back, and it does not seem to matter if you are 12 or 50! Beware the “mutton dressed up as lamb” look, which when crossed with a muffin top becomes…..a “mutton top” (you can quote me, Ombretta Zanetti on that one!) Oh, and also, knee high boots with micro minis and shorts are oh so very in……trust me, we’re in Italy!

People, mostly visitors, were buying designer clothes, shoes and bags, like the next day would provide us with the Apocalypse. Alex and I entered the Ferrari store, just to try and get a whif of what the hype was all about. As people flocked to the counters, I checked out various garments, their price and where they were made: T-shirt, made in Bangladesh, 85 euros…….cap, made in Sri Lanka, 35 euros…….baby’s tiny t-shirt, made in China, 60 euros. I had to get out!

We walked up, over and down many, many bridges, and admired the multitude of old and beautiful buildings with their distinctive Renaissance architecture. The Grand Canal is obviously the widest of the canls, and it snakes through the entire city centre, imposing and grand, commanding the city’s attention at all times. Whilst gondolas and their “gondolieri” await and lure tourists, the “traghetti” or ferries come and go, taking people everywhere from Murano (Venice’s famous glass-making island) to Burano (where they make lace) and the Lido (the beach area). Venice is synonomous with hustle and bustle, where simply observing is an activity!

No visit to Venice would be complete without strolling through the majestic Piazza San Marco, which is astoundingly big for a sqaure built on a series of islands. Whilst breathtaking, our Lonely Planet guide hit the nail on the head when it described it as….“filled for much of the day with tourists, pigeons, balloon-vendors and policemen”. The reality check is that we are part of those tourists! The piece de resistance is the Basilica di San Marco, an enormous structure that was supposedly built to house the remains of St Mark. Regardless of whether you are into religion, architecture or history, it is a must see, as both the exterior as well as interior embellishments are spectacular. The square really does embody overseas romantic travel, and even I could not help but slip Alex a little kiss or two!

To describe Venice’s churches, both inside and out, would be impossible, as there are so many, most of which are spectacular. As we walked around we viewed and popped into many. I repeat, the architectural design and style, is a sight to behold. Italy was the seat of the Renaissance, and those who had designed and created these places of worship had done a brilliant job of providing future generations with some memorable eye candy! Nothing can really take away from their splendour!

We also visited some of Venice’s most famous sites, such as the Galleria Dell’Academia and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art. The former is set in one of Venice’s most impressive and grand Gothic palaces, and traces Venetian art from the 14th to the 18th centuries. As you wander through, it is not so much the paintings that you admire as much as the very famous Renaissance artists who painted them, such as Titian, Carpaccio and Tintoretto. You cannot help but lose yourself in the past, and wonder what life in this world was really like. The Renaissance played an extremely important part in the history of the world, and I wondered what it must have been like to have lived, worked and created in such a special and important age! The latter (www.guggenheim-venice.it) was a modern art museum. It is probably of no news to most of you that neither Alex nor I are particular afficionados of modern art, but my ears always prick up when I hear the name Salvador Dali, and this museum houses a number of his works, as well as some of Picasso’s. Both of these men worked with the surrealist genre. What attracts me to this genre, is that it works with people and the mind. It is about psyche and what people think. Voila! It makes sense that I would be thus interested!

Although we declined one of the steeply priced gondola rides (which I am sure would have been romantic, despite the fact that I am not really a romantic!), and avoided the stereotypical tunes to the likes of “ La Donna e Mobile” , we did opt for a squashy ride on a ferry, which provided some lovely views of the grandiose gothic palaces along one of the smaller canals. As I closed my eyes, I immagined that Alex and I were alone….and I could almost hear that tune!

Venice had been short but sweet! I was really looking forward to Florence, our next destination, as I would be seeing my Florentine friend Irma again after some 10 years.

Ombi

“Let us not be ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, but ashamed of shabby ideals and shoddy philosophies” – Albert Einstein (It might be one of Albert´s quotes, but it is oft used by one of my best friends, Lizzie Leveridge).

(Photos: 1.- A Venetian gondolier in one of Venice´s many canals. 2.- Making the most of our Venetian buffet breakfast! 3.- A Venetian “street”. 4.- Life in Venice is even more expensive for some! 5.- Ombi and Alex enjoying a gelati………..buonissimo! 6.- A typical Venetian scene. 7.- Romantic Venice, Piazza San Marco. 8.- The famous St Mark´s Square (Piazza San Marco). 9.- Beautiful Venetian architecture. 10.- Cruising the Venetian ¨highway”. 11.- Another typical Venetian scene.)

In no time at all we were at the appropriate train station, meeting the people who we would be sharing a ride with. Ananda was originally from Sri Lanka, and Mona from India. They were both living in Vienna now, and were off to Padua, Italy for a couple of days. We had organised to be dropped off in Udine, and then whilst they would continue on to their final destination, we would somehow make our way to Trieste. We would find a away! They were really lovely people, and our trip was pleasant. Needless to say, the views of the surrounding countryside as we passed through the Dolomite mountain range was breathtaking. I am not really a snow and cold weather fan, but I could not help but think how truly spectacular this must all look in winter! As we passed the border into Italy, we admired the various and tiny villages dotted around, and nestled at the foot of the mountains. Despite having been to Italy a few times before, this is an area I had never seen, and like all things different and new, there is always that feeling of enchantment. Besides, this part of the world does indeed look like it came out of a fairytale.

Before we knew it, we were in Udine. We had asked Ananda and Mona to drop us off at the train station, where we figured we could get a local train to Trieste. It was as good as done! We thanked them both, and in no time had organised a train. Whilst waiting, we met a lovely local family, also going to Trieste to do some shopping: Marisa and her children Marta and Fabio. As we chatted, I realised that my Italian was a little rusty, and rather infiltrated with Spanish. I was sure that it should not take me too long before I was able to think in Italian and thus speak at the normal velocity with which I speak both my mother tongue and Spanish. After all, I was in Italy, and you know what they say about practice makes perfect!

On our arrival in Trieste, Marisa asked us if we would like to come along with them to have what they beleived was the best gelati in Trieste. Alex whipped out a yes before I could say Bob’s your uncle! So, backpack and all, we made our way to Gelateria Zampolli, where we were offered a gelati. Alex went for the gelati, but I was much keener to have a coffee. Whist Alex’s eyes did a few back flips, as the gelati touched his palate, I found utopia the instant the first drop of expresso touched my lips! I had waited almost 10 months for this. Italian coffee is reknowned for being the best in the world, and I had not been let down! The problem with the coffee being THIS good however (as many of you who have been to Italy before would know), is that you spend the rest of your life comparing (and complaining about) the many and subsequent cups that simply do not cut it. So, I simply revelled in the moment, which was, without a doubt an OMG (Oh My God) one! As my Dad would say, I was as as happy as a pig in sh……..oops, mud!

Next, we had to look for a place to stay, of course. I could tell that it was not going to be as easy, or as cheap, as Central America. Another day, a different challenge! Firstly it is much more organised and the actual range seemed to be less than we were used to. Our first port of call was the Tourist Information Office, where we rapidly learned that our nights of $10.00 accommodation were well and truly over! Cheap in Trieste was a 45 euro room! And I do mean cheap, as most of the other rooms were in excess of 60 euros (1 euro is approximately AUD $1.60). So, 45 euros is what we paid at a place called Bed and Breakfast Lorenzo, with breakfast included, in theory. It was a clean and comfortable place, albeit with a meager and skeletal breakfast.

Our main reason for visiting Trieste was to see Nadia, so we called her up and organised to go and visit her and her husband, Arrigo, the next day, which was a Sunday. They live right in the heart of the city, only streets away from where we were staying. We spent a really lovely day together, reminiscing about old times. This is actually the third time in my life that I have seen Nadia, whilst the last time Dad did was when he left Italy all those years ago! We spent several hours chatting about our travels, life in Australia as well as Nadia telling us stories about my Dad, and how Pola (Dad’s birthplace), was in the old days. Whilst I have been to my mother’s birthplace, near Naples, I had never been to Dad’s. This is also on my to do list on this trip. Knowing your origins and ancestry, I beleive is both important and fascinating. It was, for me, yet another mission that needed to be fulfilled and accomplished!

We spent a further day in Trieste, as its postion in the Meditteranean, nestled between the turquoise Adriatic sea and the hills is very beautiful, and warrants at least a day of sightseeing. We were not wanting to rush, but we were also aware, that due to many reasons, we would have to fly out of Rome on the 30th of June, and there were still other palces to visit and things to see. Antique gothic and baroque buildings, an enchanting waterfront promenade, ancient Roman ruins, the Piazza Unita (Trieste’s heart and also one of the largest squares in Europe directly facing the sea), Miramare Castle and people watching certainly kept us both fascinated and entertained.

Ah, people watching……..one of my favourite pastimes! Italians are indeed fascinating to watch! And the world over knows that to many, fashion and the clothes they wear are almost, if not more important than the coffee they drink! And I could not help but think about how happy I was not only be Australian and live in a culture which is not so obsessed with this, but on a personal level to not feel that designer clothes, make-up and hair maketh the person Ombretta Zanetti!

Our couple of days in Trieste had been and gone rather quickly, but I was excited, as our next destination would be Pola, or Pula as it is now known, as it is part of Croatia.

Ombi

NOTE: I think it´s official! If what we saw in Trieste was anything to go by anyway…. Muffin Tops are back! Well, In Italy anyway! I mean, they ARE infront of us in the fashion stakes! Kath and Kim would have loved it, and Sarah Lee would have been proud, as we saw many style-mongers with layer upper layer!! Do you know that Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary named “muffin top” the word of the year in 2006. Thanks Kath and Kimmy, you put our country on the map! And thanks to you too Australia, you have given us so much to be proud about!

¨Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open¨- Sir James Dewar, Scientist (1877-1925).

Ombi


(Photos: 1.- Driving to Udine, the Dolomite Mountain Ranges, Italy. 2.- With Mona & Ananda when we were dropped off in Udine, Italy. 3.- At Gelateria Zampolli, with Lto R: Ombi, Marta, Fabio & Marisa. 4.- In the heart of Trieste, near the waterfront, Italy. 5.- With Nadia, Dad´s godmother, and her husband Arrigo. 6.- Reading by the waterfront, Trieste, Italy.
7.- Melbourne is certainly not the only place with trams! 8.- It´s good to see that there are some George Bush lovers in other countries too!! This was a poster we saw in Trieste. 9.- The official ¨Triestina Muffin Top¨shot!)