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The following day the “Welsh Girls” deserved a well earned day off.
We thought that they could benefit from some retail therapy, so with it being a Wednesday, we took them to the colourful Gaeta market. Here there is an array of stalls selling almost everything under the sun.
The girls made some new friends.
This included the 7ft tall Moustapha from Senegal who runs an stall selling handbags.
Moustapha and Kay
Moustapha and Elsie
Moustapha and Karen
Mooustapha and Sylvia
Elsie, Kay, Moustapha, Sylvia, Karen
We then proceeded along the coast road to Sant’ Agostino beach, midway between Gaeta and Sperlonga. and had a snack lunch at one of our favourite little haunts, the Miramare. Outside tables look directly onto the beach. It was a beautifully day and we all enjoyed the warm rays of the sun.
Kay, Sylvia, Karen, Elsie, Paul, Louise
Kay and Elsie
Sylvia and Karen
Karen and Kay
We then drove on to Sperlonga, where we showed them delights of this magical little town.
Sperlonga
Sylvia
Kay and Elsie
Sylvia and Elsie
Elsie, Kay, Sylvia, Karen in Sperlonga
Elsie, Kay, Sylvia, Karen in Sperlonga
All in all … a very beautiful day !!!
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Having completed a trip to Rome to drop off friends at Fiumicino Airport, with much of the day still ahead of us, we decided to take a bit of a detour on the way back, heading towards the coast in search of Anzio and Nettuno.
Even since Roman times it seems that Anzio has been a popular holiday destination, indeed both of the Emperors Caligula and Nero were born here. On the small headland of Capo D’Anzio we came across the viewpoint with a bronze statue of Nero.
To the right the remains of his luxurious villa can be seen in the cliff-top Archaeological Park of the Arco di Muto.
Here also stands Anzio’s Lighthouse looking out over the remains of the ancient Roman port.
However, with the decline of the Roman Empire the city fell into disrepair and by the Middle Ages Anzio had reverted to little more than a simple fishing village. It was not until the early 1900’s that Anzio once again developed into an elegant seaside resort with many edifices constructed in the Art Nouveau “Liberty” style of that period, such as the grand casino, known as the “Paradiso sul Mare”.
Today Anzio is a bustling holiday town, with many restaurants, pizzerias, bars and cafes and during the summer months visitors can enjoy many cultural events. There is a busy port packed with fishing boats, in addition to various ferries and hydrofoils which travel daily back and forth to the Pontine Islands. The colourful marina is filled with numerous yachts and pleasure craft.
The nearby town of Nettuno shares much of its history Anzio. From the 9th century the local inhabitants found themselves exposed to repeated attacks by the Saracens, so a more secure fortified settlement was established high on the cliff, where the historic centre still stands. The walled Fortress of Sangallo was built in 1503 to protect the city from more seaborne attacks.
Sadly Anzio and Nettuno are best remembered as being the landing point of the Allied British and American Forces in the WWII, during “Operation Shingle” in January 1944. The strategic blunders of this military exercise resulted in a the terrible loss of life of many of these soldiers who took part in the bloody battle along its shores, and indeed of many of Anzio’s innocent civilians.
The Anzio Beachhead Museum, or Museo dello Sbarco Alleato is housed within the 17th century Villa Adele, has of a fascinating collection of documents, battle plans, maps, photographs and assorted artefacts relating to “Operation Shingle”. At the junction with traffic lights outside Anzio train station, on foot take the hill down towards the town centre and the museum building is on the left-hand side in Via Villa Adele. Admission is Free. Disappointingly, on the day of our visit the museum was closed, so it may be wise to take note that the museum is only open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturday and Sunday. (This is Italy !!!)
http://www.sbarcodianzio.it/english.htm
In Anzio there are two British Cemeteries: The Beach Head War Cemetery
http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=70511&mode=1
and the Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery
http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=2064800&mode=1
We found ourselves deeply touched by our visit the former – so many graves of brave young men who sacrificed their lives to liberate Italy. The cemetery is meticulously maintained, and contains 2,312 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
We eventually found that the 77-acre Sicily-Rome American Cemetery lies closer to Nettuno than Anzio. Here are the graves of 7861 Americans who died during the liberation of Italy and there is a memorial to the 3095 missing. The statue, by sculptor Paul Manship, is entitled “Brothers in Arms.” The cemetery is generally open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* photo by raffaele birnardi
Sicily-Rome American Battle Monuments Commission website: http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/sr.php
The town of Anzio was awarded the Gold Medal for Civil Merit because Anzio was the scene of violent clashes between opposing forces, suffered devastating bombings and fierce reprisals that caused the death of many citizens, including many children. The town and port was almost completely destroyed. The population was displaced, personal property abandoned, forced to seek refuge in neighbouring towns or in makeshift caves. The people endured extreme hardship and starvation. Yet the survivors responded with dignity and courage, confronting the horrors of war, to the return to peace and the difficult work of reconstruction.
There is a story often told of a little girl who was discovered alone and forlorn on one of Anzio’s beaches by Anglo-American soldiers. The soldiers not knowing her name called her “Angelita” and took her to a place of safety. There are various versions of the tale, but some say that during the German’s heavy bombing of Anzio, she was killed soon afterwards. The story has come to represent the suffering of innocent children during times of war. In Anzio a beautiful bronze statue has been erected in Angelita’s name, depicting a little girl surrounded by flying seagulls. You can see here:
Viggy77 Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62114411@N00/5192018738/
Indeed there is so much of interest to discover in Anzio. It is an easy day trip from Tre Cancelle. For more information please see our Anzio /Nettuno web pages at : http://anzionettuno.shapcott-family.com/
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One of the best things about what we do is meeting so many interesting people and making new friends from around the world. At the end of May we welcomed our first visitors from New Zealand – a couple of lovely ladies, Rosie and Susan from Christchurch.
They had planned their trip well before the tragic series of major earthquakes had struck and brought Christchurch to its knees. Both had been deeply affected by the quakes, but after taking stock, with careful consideration they courageously decided to go ahead with their holiday. These plucky ladies had organised, all by themselves, a three week whistle-stop tour of many European countries such as Holland, France, Switzerland, Greece, Italy and Malta.
Rosie contacted us as, after having read about the tiny little village of Campodimele. For several years she had had a burning desire to visit this location and see it for herself. As she and her travel companion were lacking their own transport we agreed to put them both up at “Tre Cancelle” and personally drive them to Campodimele which is not so far from Itri.
One afternoon we pootled off and ventured inland, navigating the sharp twists and turns of the road that snakes its way up into the Aurunci Mountains. First, en route, we headed up to the nearby Sanctuary of the Madonna della Civita to take a look at some of the splendid panoramic views from this point.
View of Itri and beyond the Gaeta Peninsula and the Island of Ischia in the distance
We then continued along the meandering mountain road which finally led us to Campodimele.
The picturesque, medieval village is perched high on a hilltop overlooking a sheltered fertile valley. It is encircled by formidable turreted walls, which were built many centuries ago to protect its citizens from attacks by marauding Saracen pirates.
Rosie at Campodimele
A path, known by the locals as “Lover’s Lane”, winds itself around the town walls, from which there are stunning panoramic views of the surrounding verdant countryside.
In the village square stands an ancient elm tree which was planted in 1789 to commemorate the French Revolution.
As I mentioned earlier, back in New Zealand, Rosie had read of the village’s renown. This tiny little town has been awarded the European title of “The Village of Eternal Youth” as it is noted for the longevity of its citizens. It seems that they are a particularly hardy breed, who seldom have the need to visit a doctor, rarely die before the age of 85, and it is not uncommon for its citizens to attain the age of 100. The World Health Organization sent researchers to the village to try to discover its secret.
Some of the contributing factors must surely be: the clean salubrious mountain air, the locally grown fresh ingredients that make up the typical good wholesome diet, which of course includes the excellent local extra virgin olive oil. Also the fact that the elderly do not retire early, preferring to keep themselves busy and active as possible. Campodimele’s senior citizens are not left to grow old alone, they are well cared for and supported by their family and others in the close-knit community. Indeed, even here in Itri, our 89 year old neighbour seems to be living proof of this, as he is still fit enough every morning at 6 am to climb his ladder, with secateurs and pruning saw in hand, to lovingly tend his olive trees.
The locals of this area are indeed resilient people who have a strong connection with the land. The old folk have toiled relentlessly over the years and also had to overcome indescribable hardships during WW2. Thankfully they now can enjoy better stress-free times in their twilight days.
Leathery skinned, elderly residents can often be seen sitting in the town square under the shade of a tree, or on a chair outside their front door, where they watch the world go by, not that much does go by in tiny Campodimele !!!
However on the particular day of Rosie and Susan’s visit, which was a Sunday, there wasn’t even one aged inhabitant to be seen anywhere. Very strange we thought, had they all suddenly died off ???
Then we came across an announcement that had been posted on the village notice board. -
“This Sunday - A Special Coach Excursion For The town’s Senior Citizens To Visit Rome and See The Pope.”
That explained it all !!!
Find more information about Campodimele here at
http://campodimele.shapcott-family.com
Susan and Rosie at Sperlonga
Rosie and Susan, we continue to think of you all in Christchurch,
and of course all of those reeling from the earthquakes in Japan.
It was a pleasure to meet you. Keep safe girls.
We hope you will return to Campodimele and Bella Italia one day .
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A recent article in the Telegraph Newspaper about Campodimele:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8627933/The-secrets-to-a-long-life.html
Our next destination was Coquelles near Calais, the French terminal for the Eurotunnel, we drove down the long slip roads and passed through the passport , frontier and customs check points without problems.
This was to be my second trip on the Eurotunnel Shuttle.
* photo by hisgett
Initially I had been really concerned that I would find the whole experience overwhelmingly claustrophobic. In the past I have suffered from problems with phobias and panic attacks, for example I find travelling on the London Underground quite a nightmare, the fear being trapped, unable to escape, being jostled in a crowd. The dry mouth, the heart pounding, hyperventilating. Even certain supermarkets and shopping malls make me feel spaced out and queasy.
However, I was determined to be brave and give the Eurotunnel a try. Faced with having to traverse the choppy English Channel by some means or other, and the fact that I am not a good sailor – I tend to get seasick even when crossing a millpond, and the fact that during the winter La Manche is known for its choppy seas, the short sharp Eurotunnel crossing seemed to be perhaps the lesser of two evils. I had to be brave and strive to confront my fear.
There is a simple roll on, roll off system, cars are directed to drive up a ramp to board the carriages. Inside it is brightly illuminated and not SO SMALL I suppose!!! There is just about enough space get out and walk up and down a narrow walkway, but I preferred to stay put in the car.
At this point it was probably not best for me to dwell on the fact that the tunnel is 31 miles long, that 24 miles of it are in an undersea passageway, at a depth of 40 metres. It is indeed, an amazing feat of engineering.
So I tried to concentrate on reading my book to keep my mind occupied, and sucked on a peppermint or two to moisten my dry mouth. In fact, the journey passed quite swiftly and uneventfully, it takes about 35 minutes or so. A gave a huge sigh of relief as we emerged into the daylight at Cheriton, West Folkstone. Back in Olde Blighty !!!
We had various presents to deliver nearby. We drove through the countryside of Kent which is often described as “The Garden of England”, because of its infamous hop gardens and orchards. We passed some traditional old Oast Houses.
These conical roofed buildings were used as kilns for drying hops used for the brewing of beer.
# photo by amandabhslater
Historically, the hops would be ready for picking during the month of September, and it was a very labour intensive process. Workers, sometimes whole families, from the East End – the poorest part of London, were annually recruited to help gather the hops. Many folk leaped at the opportunity to escape the gloom of London and work in the fresh air of the Kent countryside. Some even came to regard it as a sort of annual holiday, but it was hard work all the same. Special steam trains were laid on to transport them. These migrant workers were housed, during their 6 week stay, in huts or tents with basic facilities. There was a certain feeling of community spirit that developed in such camps and in the evenings, after a hard day’s toil, they would gather around the open fires and tell stories, play music and have a good old sing-song. Some families returned year in year out, even subsequent generations of the same family often followed in the custom.
Sadly, during the mid 20th century this industry began to fall into decline, thus many Oast Houses fell into disuse and disrepair. Some of those still remaining have now been restored and converted into unusual houses.
For more information on the Hop Pickers see this excellent website:
http://www.hoppingdowninkent.org.uk/index.php
Here are some fascinating personal memoirs of Hop Picking:
http://www.bermondseyboy.net/2009/12/06/hop-picking/
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The next leg of the journey was much shorter, our destination being the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam – this was to be our first visit. Through the website airbnb we had booked 2 nights accommodation in an apartment in the De Jordaan quarter, next to the “De Wittenkade” (White Quay).
We found the accommodation to be very comfortable and would recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting the city: http://bedandbreakfast.jandeboerweb.nl/
From chatting with our host, we learned that this was a busy shopping period in Holland, as it was the eve of the feast of St Nicholas, which falls on the 6th of December. Traditionally it seems that Sinterklaas arrives in Holland by ship, from his homeland of Spain, dressed in a long red robe and mitre.
He then rides on a white stallion through the city centre in a festive parade accompanied by his loyal servant called “Zwarte Piet” or “Black Peter” and other servants who hand out goodies from their bags. On the evening before the feast each child, prior to going to bed, places one of their shoes (or traditionally a clog) next to the fireplace. In the shoes are placed a carrot and perhaps some straw, as a treat for Saint Nicholas’s trusty steed. During the night it is said that Sinterklaas sends out his servants to deliver “surprises” for the children (by climbing down the chimney, rather like Father Christmas).
Traditional treats of this festive period include: Chocolates in the shape of letters of the alphabet, ginger spiced biscuits, aniseed flavoured gingerbread, almond pastries, fondant candies, carrots made from marzipan and mulled wine.
It was bitterly cold, with an icy north wind and it had started to snow as we set out to explore the city. There had been some snowfall already, in fact it was so cold than some of the canals were freezing over.
Yet, Amsterdam’s cyclists continually whizzed by, totally undeterred by the slippery road conditions.
We meandered our way on foot through the mesmerizing maze of pedestrian streets that make up the main shopping area of the city. These were thronged with an array of cosmopolitan tourists scouring the hundreds of fascinating stores for Christmas gifts and souvenirs. In search of a cup of coffee, to thaw ourselves out a little, we entered the grand Magna Plaza shopping centre which is full of trendy designer boutiques. This impressive building dates back to 1899 and had once been the city’s main post Office. I greatly admired its grand architecture and in particular its elegant colonnades and glass domed ceiling. In the spacious foyer the was an enormous and lavishly decorated Christmas tree.
We continued on foot and made our way towards Amsterdam’s unique floating flower market.
Here there is a huge assortment of blooms, plants, bulbs, seeds and even Cannabis starter kits, in addition to clogs, blue traditional blue delftware, knick-knacks and mementos.
Next we headed to the old historic quarter of the city through narrow alleyways and streets full of interesting little shops, coffee houses and bars.
Then to the traditional picturesque network of canals, crossed by arched bridges. Of course bicycles are to be found everywhere, chained to every conveniently sited lamp-post or iron railing.
The waterways are lined with tall narrow tightly packed merchant’s houses, with high pitched roofs, some with ornate gables and facades. These residences were designed and built in this manner to overcome the heavy property taxes of the time of construction, which were based according to the frontage or width of a dwelling.
By chance we stumbled upon the Chinese district and were surprised to find the Buddist He Hua Temple.
Two days was just not enough to fully explore this interesting city, no time to explore all the museums and so many other places of interest.
This will have to wait until our return ….. perhaps next time a visit in the Spring or Summer months?
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In early December we set off on our adventure to drive back to the UK. We planned to treat ourselves to a couple of days well earned break in Amsterdam along the way.
We departed on the first leg of our journey with the car packed to the gunnels, heading for Lake Como in northern Italy. The weather was generally better than expected, however as we approached Milano it began to snow. We were feeling rather weary when we arrived in Como and followed the road that skirts the left hand shore of the lake.
We had reserved a small apartment overlooking the lake in Tremezzo, 100 metres from the shore of Lake Como, but had been instructed to “check-in” at a nearby hotel. The receptionist gave Paul the keys and directions on how to find the house. We meticulously followed these instructions, but in the darkness found it hard to locate the exact property. We phoned the receptionist to ask for help, and she tried once again to give us directions but we were just unable to find in the dark where we were supposed to be staying. Finally the receptionist told us that she would find us a room for the night in the hotel for the same price. Exhausted, but relieved that we had a bed for the night, we parked up and dragged our overnight bags up to the 5th floor and collapsed on the bed. The room was small but cheerfully decorated and comfortable enough.
The following morning we awoke around dawn. Our room had French doors which opened out onto a small balcony from which there were stunning panoramic views of Lake Como, so cold and serene, and superb views of the morning sun illuminating the snow-capped Alps to the north.
We prepared for our second day of travelling and chose to take, from Menaggio, a scenic route over a mountain pass into Switzerland. On reaching the Swiss border there were no problems as the customs guards just waved us through. We headed for Lake Lugano where we met up with Judy Ridgeway at her beautiful apartment with stunning views of the lake. She is an expert taster of olive oil and had agreed to taste our Itri extra virgin olive oil and give us her expert opinion and a detailed description of its taste and attributes.
We then headed onwards passing through the 17 km long St Gotthard Tunnel.
* photo by Jesper2cv
Sadly as we emerged at the other end we were unable to see many views of Lake Lucerne and the Alps which were cloaked in low grey cloud. Driving onwards we passed through snowy landscapes, through Basel, Colmar, Metz, through Luxembourg towards our next destination, Liege in Belgium. The weather had managed to stay relatively kind to us until we entered Belgium when it began to snow heavily. It had been another long and tiring day’s driving, so we were relieved to finally book into our cheap little hotel room.
* photo by Jesper2cv
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