Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Looks A Lot Like Spring!
We had a very rare occurence this weekend- a Bank Holiday collided with a mini heatwave! I took advantage quick and got out on one of my regular routes round Clipston Woods, to Cotgrave and back along the canal- it's about 12 miles and I ran a fair bit of it. Here are a few spring photos...
Unfortunately, my knee was bothering me when I got back. It's not a pain exactly- a kind of discomfort on the left side of my left knee. I do feel it whilst I'm out but it doesn't get any worse. When I am home I can feel it more, especially if my leg twists, but it's always gone next day. I don't want to risk making it worse so have been taking it a bit easier since.
I had a gym session Sunday and walked Monday- no running! No problems- so tonight I walked to the Regatta Lake at Holme Pierrepont and had a few running stretches round the lake. Touch wood- so far so good! The Regatta Lake is a rectangular artificial lake built for watersports and is ideal for running round as it's flat and there's a good track- it's just over 3 miles all the way round. There are also loads of geese- and loads of little baby goslings with very protective parents which made for very interesting running...
Baby Geese With Protective Parents!
The Regatta Lake- It's Long!
More Baby Geese
Unfortunately, my knee was bothering me when I got back. It's not a pain exactly- a kind of discomfort on the left side of my left knee. I do feel it whilst I'm out but it doesn't get any worse. When I am home I can feel it more, especially if my leg twists, but it's always gone next day. I don't want to risk making it worse so have been taking it a bit easier since.
I had a gym session Sunday and walked Monday- no running! No problems- so tonight I walked to the Regatta Lake at Holme Pierrepont and had a few running stretches round the lake. Touch wood- so far so good! The Regatta Lake is a rectangular artificial lake built for watersports and is ideal for running round as it's flat and there's a good track- it's just over 3 miles all the way round. There are also loads of geese- and loads of little baby goslings with very protective parents which made for very interesting running...
Labels: Holme Pierrepont
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Valleys And Views- Delayed Event Report
Just realised I haven't got round to writing this one up! It was on the 10th April, two days after I got back from Italy, and as I spent a week pottering around eating pizza and ice cream I thought I may as well do it to shock my body back inot exercise mode...
It was a lovely day- the mist was just lifting off the fields as I drove to Wilbarston, and it promised to be hot. One good thing about this walk is that you can start any time between 7:30am and 9:00am. The other good thing is that at £3.50 it's extremely reasonable. I parked up, bought an egg sandwich from the volunteers manning a cafe at the start, had a coffee and set off into the sunshine.
Looking at the route description, it became apparent that the route had been changed since I last did this walk. Instead of heading off to the left out of the village, we headed right, passing through the church yard. After walking through Stoke Albany, the route passed through fields planted with crops.
The countryside round here is gently undulating, with expansive views over green and yellow fields. It was already very warm. After walking through fields and tracks I passed this rather unusual footpath sign.
According to the route description, we were now on the Macmillan Way. Shortly after, the route descended into the lovely village of Weston by Welland.
Approaching Weston by Welland
Still on the Macmillan Way, the next part of the route was a 3k road walk, which was a bit of a drag but luckily quiet. I passed a chap who said that this road walking was the worst bit for him.
Passing Under A Disused Railway Bridge
As the road became a track, I briefly caught up with another guy who was a very fast walker- I only caught him up because I had a little jog although I didn't run too much as I was worried about my knee. He told me he had helped design the new route, which was changed as they wanted to keep it interesting for folks. He was doing the 15 mile route- both routes went to Hallaton, but the 25 mile route which I was doing followed a big loop out of Hallaton and then back into it.
Hallaton
The first checkpoint was in Hallaton. There were two check points in the village- one for 25 mile walkers and one for 15 mile walkers and which formed a second checkpoint for 25 mile walkers after they had finished the additional loop. I stopped for a drink- one of the volunteers was radioing the second checkpoint as they had found a fiver and had an idea who it belonged too. He went on to describe the owner as wearing the most hideous pair of shorts he had ever seen. There were 2 chaps sitting in the shade, one of whom seemed to be in pain, and they set off just after me.
We seemed to be walking along a high ridge with some lovely views;
I came to a road and realised I had left the 3 chaps behind. The route went through more fields and passed between two lakes before reaching a track- part of the Mid Shires Way. This seemed familiar and I realised that we were on the old route but in reverse. We followed the track almost to Cranoe, passing a lovely little pond.
Here the route doubled back on itself, passing through more fields towards a farm. At one point it was a little confusing, and I came across a man and woman who were trying to figure it out. The route description instructed us to turn right for 30 metres and then left through a gate, but the gate was straight in front of us. The chap pointed out that the route description had instructed us to keep the hedge on our left, but we had followed a track straight across the field, and it was about 30 metres from the field corner to the gate we were standing in front of. When he said that it made perfect sense to me, and I could see the little wooden gate we needed to find at the far side of the next field, which I pointed out.
The woman was less convinced, and said that the description was not making sense for her. A runner passed us and confirmed that it was straight on, and I followed him- when I looked back the couple were also following.
After walking through many more fields, most of which quite frankly looked ,uch the same, I saw Hallaton again in the near distance and started to have visions of hot coffee and sandwiches.
Hallaton Church (Or it Could Be Blaston)
Hallaton (Or Blaston)
I was not disappointed. Cheese sandwiches with optional pickle, coffee and lovely lemon cake! I spotted a chap wearing the largest walking boots I had ever seen, and a really bright, patterned pair of shorts- I was tempted to ask him if he had got his fiver back!
I left the checkpoint with a younger couple, who were doing the 15 mile walk and expressed surprise when I told them I was doing the 25 mile option. They were a lot fresher than me though and were walking faster. From this point on, we were following the old route so a lot of it was familiar.
The route ascended to Neville Holt, and I walked passed a magnificent residence which looked just like a private school or college. As I walked past the gates, I spotted a giant disembodied horse's head, which was slightly disconcerting as I wasn't quite sure whether I was hallucinating or not.
Freaky!
Another footpath brought me to the road descending to Drayton and the smallest consecrated church in Leicestershire- St James. There was an unmanned checkpoint here, some kind soul had left orange juice, water and biscuits on a bench outside the church.
The Church Of St James
Then it was off to Middleton to pick up the Jurassic Way after a bit of a road walk. I was feeling a little rough by this point and couldn't wait to finish. My legs were aching and I could feel the discomfort in my knee, which hasn't gone away despite a rest. The Jurassic Way should be really pleasant but after 23 miles you just want it to end!
The Jurassic Way From Middleton
It was such a relief to finish and sink into a chair with a cuppa and piece of cake. I noticed that there was a chap running round the field and heard one of the volunteers say he was making the distance up to a full marathon. I had contemplated bringing my Garmin so I could add another mile on, but as the route was partly in Northamptonshire and partly in Leicestershire I wouldn't have been able to count it towards my marathon challenge anyway. I finished in about 7 hours 20 minutes, which I was happy with as I hadn't ran much of it. I quite enjoy this event- lovely views, friendly volunteers and usually lovely weather.
It was a lovely day- the mist was just lifting off the fields as I drove to Wilbarston, and it promised to be hot. One good thing about this walk is that you can start any time between 7:30am and 9:00am. The other good thing is that at £3.50 it's extremely reasonable. I parked up, bought an egg sandwich from the volunteers manning a cafe at the start, had a coffee and set off into the sunshine.
Looking at the route description, it became apparent that the route had been changed since I last did this walk. Instead of heading off to the left out of the village, we headed right, passing through the church yard. After walking through Stoke Albany, the route passed through fields planted with crops.
The countryside round here is gently undulating, with expansive views over green and yellow fields. It was already very warm. After walking through fields and tracks I passed this rather unusual footpath sign.
Still on the Macmillan Way, the next part of the route was a 3k road walk, which was a bit of a drag but luckily quiet. I passed a chap who said that this road walking was the worst bit for him.
As the road became a track, I briefly caught up with another guy who was a very fast walker- I only caught him up because I had a little jog although I didn't run too much as I was worried about my knee. He told me he had helped design the new route, which was changed as they wanted to keep it interesting for folks. He was doing the 15 mile route- both routes went to Hallaton, but the 25 mile route which I was doing followed a big loop out of Hallaton and then back into it.
The first checkpoint was in Hallaton. There were two check points in the village- one for 25 mile walkers and one for 15 mile walkers and which formed a second checkpoint for 25 mile walkers after they had finished the additional loop. I stopped for a drink- one of the volunteers was radioing the second checkpoint as they had found a fiver and had an idea who it belonged too. He went on to describe the owner as wearing the most hideous pair of shorts he had ever seen. There were 2 chaps sitting in the shade, one of whom seemed to be in pain, and they set off just after me.
We seemed to be walking along a high ridge with some lovely views;
I came to a road and realised I had left the 3 chaps behind. The route went through more fields and passed between two lakes before reaching a track- part of the Mid Shires Way. This seemed familiar and I realised that we were on the old route but in reverse. We followed the track almost to Cranoe, passing a lovely little pond.
Here the route doubled back on itself, passing through more fields towards a farm. At one point it was a little confusing, and I came across a man and woman who were trying to figure it out. The route description instructed us to turn right for 30 metres and then left through a gate, but the gate was straight in front of us. The chap pointed out that the route description had instructed us to keep the hedge on our left, but we had followed a track straight across the field, and it was about 30 metres from the field corner to the gate we were standing in front of. When he said that it made perfect sense to me, and I could see the little wooden gate we needed to find at the far side of the next field, which I pointed out.
The woman was less convinced, and said that the description was not making sense for her. A runner passed us and confirmed that it was straight on, and I followed him- when I looked back the couple were also following.
After walking through many more fields, most of which quite frankly looked ,uch the same, I saw Hallaton again in the near distance and started to have visions of hot coffee and sandwiches.
I was not disappointed. Cheese sandwiches with optional pickle, coffee and lovely lemon cake! I spotted a chap wearing the largest walking boots I had ever seen, and a really bright, patterned pair of shorts- I was tempted to ask him if he had got his fiver back!
I left the checkpoint with a younger couple, who were doing the 15 mile walk and expressed surprise when I told them I was doing the 25 mile option. They were a lot fresher than me though and were walking faster. From this point on, we were following the old route so a lot of it was familiar.
The route ascended to Neville Holt, and I walked passed a magnificent residence which looked just like a private school or college. As I walked past the gates, I spotted a giant disembodied horse's head, which was slightly disconcerting as I wasn't quite sure whether I was hallucinating or not.
Another footpath brought me to the road descending to Drayton and the smallest consecrated church in Leicestershire- St James. There was an unmanned checkpoint here, some kind soul had left orange juice, water and biscuits on a bench outside the church.
Then it was off to Middleton to pick up the Jurassic Way after a bit of a road walk. I was feeling a little rough by this point and couldn't wait to finish. My legs were aching and I could feel the discomfort in my knee, which hasn't gone away despite a rest. The Jurassic Way should be really pleasant but after 23 miles you just want it to end!
It was such a relief to finish and sink into a chair with a cuppa and piece of cake. I noticed that there was a chap running round the field and heard one of the volunteers say he was making the distance up to a full marathon. I had contemplated bringing my Garmin so I could add another mile on, but as the route was partly in Northamptonshire and partly in Leicestershire I wouldn't have been able to count it towards my marathon challenge anyway. I finished in about 7 hours 20 minutes, which I was happy with as I hadn't ran much of it. I quite enjoy this event- lovely views, friendly volunteers and usually lovely weather.
Labels: Valleys and Views
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Italy Part Two...
We had a free day on Tuesday and so decided to brave the public transport and explore Capri. There are three main areas to Capri; Anacapri, where our hotel was, Capri and Marina Grande, where the ferry docked. The buses are tiny orange ones which whiz fearlessly around the hairpin bends and sheer drops, and usually absolutely packed with about 30 people jostling for a little bit of standing room and a tiny piece of metal pole to cling on desperately to.
Me and Anne caught the bus to Capri, which is a lovely little town with a square, and little alleyways revealing the kind of boutique shops which don't display the prices in the windows.
We found a lane which wound between houses and hotels and ended at a viewpoint;
We retraced our steps and found the Saint Augustine gardens. It was a gloriously hot, sunny day at this point;
Looking over Faraglioni Rocks
After a capuccino we headed downhill towards the Marina Grande, and took a boat trip around the island- it takes around an hour, and as we headed out it was still glorious sunshine...
Tiny Statue On The Rocks
Natural Arch In The Faraglioni Rocks- Which We Went Through
When we were about halfway round the island, all of a sudden the sun just disappeared into thick, swirling cloud- just as if someone had flicked a switch. The wind got up and it felt really chilly- a total contrast to how it had been just an hour before. I thought it looked stormy, and just as we reached dry land, it started to rain. We took refuge in a Pizzeria before catching the bus back to Anacapri- we were just walking back down to the hotel when there was a terrific crash of thunder!
Wednesday we were a little concerned that the weather may have broken, but we woke to a lovely blue sky. We had a quite early start as our bus driver needed to get up down to the harbour at breakneck speed just so we could wait for 20 minutes to catch a ferry to Sorrento.
Leaving Capri
Sorrento was lovely too- roads lined with wild orange trees and lemons everywhere. We had our included drive up the Amalfi Coast this morning, and as we boarded the bus we picked up a couple of Brits who had landed in Sorrento on another tour. Lambros announced that all of the spectacular views would be on the right- which was a bit of a bummer as me and Anne were sitting on the left! But as we were due to come back the same way we figured we'd get the views coming back.
The Amalfi Coast is spectacular- rocky cliffs reaching out to turquoise seas with little whitewashed villages clinging to them. We had a couple of 'view stops' on route to Amalfi;
Looking Towards Positano
Local Produce!
We had some free time in Amalfi, which is a pretty little town, so had an obligatory pizza and ice cream lunch... god it was such hard work...
A Shop- Either World Of Lemon or Lemon Planet...
When it was time to return to Sorrento, me and Anne clambered back on board the bus to find the new Brit couple had taken our seats- they had been on the right before so that they obviously decided that they would like the views going back as well, thank you very much! After making our feelings known, they decided to return to their original seats. Then Lambros informed us that due to the size of our vehicle, the police requested that instead of returning the way we had come, we carry on further along the coast road- which meant that we would see more of the coast road but the views would still all be on the right!
Everyone sitting on the right immediately offered to swap places with those of us on the left... except for the new couple, who stayed resolutely in their seats! Not impressed...
It was difficult to take pictures from a moving vehicle but we stopped for a view over Sorrento;
Thursday we had an optional excurtion to Naples (or should I say Napoli!) Naples is very busy and bustling- at first sight it doesn't appear to have the history of Rome, but Lambros told us that this isn't the case- everytime they try to build something in Naples they end up tripping over more ancient Roman or Greek antiquities.
After a drive through of Naples, we had a stop at a couple of places for a view over the Bay of Naples;
We had a quick guided tour and then some free time in one of the main shopping areas.
We were told that the restaurant owned by the chap who invented the very first Margherita pizza was nearby- Brandi's- and found it up a little alleyway. We initially thought it would be way to expensive to eat there, but it was actually very reasonable... I had a Margherita, for history's sake, and when it came it was like a bloody wheel!
The story is that Raffaele Esposito created a pizza for Princess Margherita of Savoie in 1871 and as Italy had recently been unified into one country he decided to make it in honour of the new tri-colour flag- red tomato sauce, white mozzarella and green basil.
While we were eating possibly the most authentic pizza we could ever hope to eat, we were serenaded by a guitar player, who sang 'Amore'- doesn't get any more authentic than that!
Oh, and Italian ice cream is to die for...
It was our last night in Italy, and so we had a walk around downtown Sorrento, sipping Cafe Lattes in the square and snapping up souvenirs. I would love to go back to Sorrento again someday...
Me and Anne caught the bus to Capri, which is a lovely little town with a square, and little alleyways revealing the kind of boutique shops which don't display the prices in the windows.
We retraced our steps and found the Saint Augustine gardens. It was a gloriously hot, sunny day at this point;
Path Leading Down To The Shore- We Didn't Take This But It Would Have Been Fun!
After a capuccino we headed downhill towards the Marina Grande, and took a boat trip around the island- it takes around an hour, and as we headed out it was still glorious sunshine...
When we were about halfway round the island, all of a sudden the sun just disappeared into thick, swirling cloud- just as if someone had flicked a switch. The wind got up and it felt really chilly- a total contrast to how it had been just an hour before. I thought it looked stormy, and just as we reached dry land, it started to rain. We took refuge in a Pizzeria before catching the bus back to Anacapri- we were just walking back down to the hotel when there was a terrific crash of thunder!
Wednesday we were a little concerned that the weather may have broken, but we woke to a lovely blue sky. We had a quite early start as our bus driver needed to get up down to the harbour at breakneck speed just so we could wait for 20 minutes to catch a ferry to Sorrento.
Sorrento was lovely too- roads lined with wild orange trees and lemons everywhere. We had our included drive up the Amalfi Coast this morning, and as we boarded the bus we picked up a couple of Brits who had landed in Sorrento on another tour. Lambros announced that all of the spectacular views would be on the right- which was a bit of a bummer as me and Anne were sitting on the left! But as we were due to come back the same way we figured we'd get the views coming back.
The Amalfi Coast is spectacular- rocky cliffs reaching out to turquoise seas with little whitewashed villages clinging to them. We had a couple of 'view stops' on route to Amalfi;
We had some free time in Amalfi, which is a pretty little town, so had an obligatory pizza and ice cream lunch... god it was such hard work...
When it was time to return to Sorrento, me and Anne clambered back on board the bus to find the new Brit couple had taken our seats- they had been on the right before so that they obviously decided that they would like the views going back as well, thank you very much! After making our feelings known, they decided to return to their original seats. Then Lambros informed us that due to the size of our vehicle, the police requested that instead of returning the way we had come, we carry on further along the coast road- which meant that we would see more of the coast road but the views would still all be on the right!
Everyone sitting on the right immediately offered to swap places with those of us on the left... except for the new couple, who stayed resolutely in their seats! Not impressed...
It was difficult to take pictures from a moving vehicle but we stopped for a view over Sorrento;
Thursday we had an optional excurtion to Naples (or should I say Napoli!) Naples is very busy and bustling- at first sight it doesn't appear to have the history of Rome, but Lambros told us that this isn't the case- everytime they try to build something in Naples they end up tripping over more ancient Roman or Greek antiquities.
After a drive through of Naples, we had a stop at a couple of places for a view over the Bay of Naples;
We had a quick guided tour and then some free time in one of the main shopping areas.
This Shopping Centre Had High Arched Glass Ceilings And Mosaic Floors
We were told that the restaurant owned by the chap who invented the very first Margherita pizza was nearby- Brandi's- and found it up a little alleyway. We initially thought it would be way to expensive to eat there, but it was actually very reasonable... I had a Margherita, for history's sake, and when it came it was like a bloody wheel!
The story is that Raffaele Esposito created a pizza for Princess Margherita of Savoie in 1871 and as Italy had recently been unified into one country he decided to make it in honour of the new tri-colour flag- red tomato sauce, white mozzarella and green basil.
While we were eating possibly the most authentic pizza we could ever hope to eat, we were serenaded by a guitar player, who sang 'Amore'- doesn't get any more authentic than that!
Oh, and Italian ice cream is to die for...
It was our last night in Italy, and so we had a walk around downtown Sorrento, sipping Cafe Lattes in the square and snapping up souvenirs. I would love to go back to Sorrento again someday...
Labels: Capri, Naples, Sorrento
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Back From Italy
Italy is lovely. Especially Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast- rocky headlands jutting out into turquoise waters, revealing lovely little coves, tiny villages perched high on the cliffs, defying gravity, punctuated by loads of lemon and orange trees. We did see plenty, although sadly it wasn't a walking tour so not really an endurance adventure. but an adventure in it's own right.
It was tiring traveling down, as we needed to check in for our flight at 6am, which necessitated catching a National Express coach at 12:15am from Leicester and travelling through the night- meaning very little sleep! We arrived at Naples airport and we met by our tour leader, Lambros, for a taxi ride to Rome. We recovered a little and made our way up the road for a slice of pizza;
Saturday we had two tours, an optional one of the Vatican and one included tour of the Colisseum and Forum. Both me and Anne had opted for the Vatican one, which included the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican is a city within a city- completely separate from Rome. As we walked through hall after hall decorated with richly decorated ceilings, ornate tapestries and ancient marble statues, I was struck by how much wealth is held by the church. We didn't see the Pope though.
After a peek at the Sistine Chapel (complete with guards constantly telling everyone to shut up and respect the silence) we were taken into St Peter's Basilica, which is huge- resplendent in marble and statues. There is a bronze statue of St Peter here, with a queue of people waiting to touch his right foot as it is supposed to bring luck. As a result, the right foot of the statue is wearing away.
The Bronze Statue of St Peter
We walked out through the square of the Vatican, looking back at the impressive facade of St Peter's Basilica;
We could see the 'mile long queue' of people waiting to get in- sometimes it pays to book with a tour company!
The next tour was one I had been looking forwards to- the Colisseum and Roman Forum. I have wanted to see the Colisseum for such a long time, and it was every inch as impressive as I'd imagined, although the stone blocks which made up its construction were full of holes, as the bronze 'pins' which had been placed to keep them together had been robbed out centuries before and melted down.
Arch Of Constantine
As we went inside I noticed that there are two levels to the Colisseum, an upper and lower level. Our guide explained that there are stairs to access the upper level, and that although there are signed advising that these should not be used (I don't think they are ancient but they are quite steep and slippery so it's a health and safety thing), most people ignore them- there is even an exhibition at the top.
Of course, I decided to go up the stairs and walk all the way around the top deck, trying to visualise the Colisseum (or the Flavian Amphitheatre to give it its original name) in its heyday; if I closed my eyes I could just about imagine that the chatter of people were the excited murmuring of some long dead Roman audience.
Following the Collisseum we walked through the area of the Roman Forum, one of the main areas for people doing business etc in ancient Rome. It seemed a huge jumble of fallen stones and bits of buildings, but what was still standing was quite impressive, including one building with its original bronze doors. I tried to get creative with a few black and white shots;
Anne has some mobility difficulties due to a severe back injury so I kept her company by walking at the back of the group with her. We went on an optional meal that night, and afterwards were guided to the Trevi Fountain to see it lit up- I threw a coin over my shoulder, facing away from the fountain, to guarantee my return to Rome.
Trevi Fountain At Night
Sunday we decided to take an optional little trip to the Porta Portese fleamarket- quite a lot like an English one really, lots and lots of stalls selling the same kind of things- clothes, 'pound shop style' electical items and a few antiques. We did get a few bargains, but as we only had a set amount of time before the bus was due to collect us, we knew trying to see all of it was impossible. Anne said 'you could spend all day here', but once we reached the top of the road we had been walking up, we decided to walk down the opposite road a little way before cutting across to our original road.
At least, that was what we intended... what actually happened is that we realised we were hopelessly lost! After wandering for what seemed like ages and asking Italian policeman and being directed into circles ('we have passed that beggar with one arm three times!'), we bumped into another guy from our tour group, Mike. Unfortunately, Mike was just as lost as we were!
By the time we had made it back to our staring point the bus was long gone- Porta Portese was far enough from the centre of Rome to be off the maps in our guide books, so Mike suggested catching a bus. We saw one coming and clambered on board, asking the driver if it went to the centre. Unfortunately he couldn't speak English so just kind of grunted and drove off with us on board. So now we were on a bus, without a clue how to buy a ticket or where it was going!
After a while we noticed that people seemed to be just hopping on and off. I also realised we were nearing the Colisseum, where there was sure to be a Metro station, so when the bus stopped, we scrambled off. I know now that we should have bought a ticket at a kiosk and the driver could have asked to see it... but we survived! The Metro seems to be a very good way of seeing Rome- we bought an all day ticket for 4 Euros and carried on exploring (Mike returned to the hotel as he was taking an optional dinner extension).
Me and Anne went to St Paul's Basilica- not quite on the same scale as St Peter's but nice. We also had our first proper ice cream here- Italian ice cream is to die for...
St Peter's Basilica
We went to see the Trevi Fountain again in daylight, and as they were nearby, took in the Spanish Steps. This is a popular meeting place- I walked all of the way up them to the church at the top, which gave a fantastic view over the square and surrounding streets.
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Monday was a busy day, as we were travelling to Vesuvius, Pompeii and then taking a ferry over to the Isle of Capri. This meant leaving the hotel at 7am, we managed it- just- even though we managed to lock ourselves out of our hotel room putting the cases outside the door!
It was another lovely sunny day in Rome, but as we drove south, the sun disappeared into cloud and it became quite chilly. By the time we drove up the windy road around the lower sloped of Vesuvius, we drove through the cloud cover to glorious sunshine. The bus dropped us off at a place known as the 'checkpoint', where there were shops and a row of portaloos. Lambros advised us that there is a track to the summit crater, which takes about 20 minutes walking.
Ascending Vesuvius
Anne decided not to do it, but she knew I would! The path was quite a steep climb, covered with loose black soil and loads and loads of school groups. I made it up the the top quite quickly, which I think surprised most of the group as they had been used to me walking at Anne's speed! The summit was amazing- a huge crater, filled not with lava but gravel (I suspect that the lava would be at a lower level). It was so huge I had trouble getting a shot of the whole thing.
The Summit Of Vesuvius
Interestingly enough, if Vesuvius were to erupt with the same fury as AD79, when Pompeii was destroyed, most of modern day Naples would be in the danger zone! I read that they can monitor volcanic activity on the mountain and would have chance to evacuate, but this would mean potentially evacuating some 500,000 people!
There is a path along the lower rim of the crater, which looks as though it carries on further, but the way is blocked by a shop and no entry sign, although I did see a group of people walking along the higher rim so presumably walking tours may be available.
I was eager to get back down to look in the large shop at the 'checkpoint', so had a brilliantly exhilirating run down the track, dodging tourists!
After lunch, it was time to visit Pompeii... another place I'd always wanted to see. The clouds had by now completely melted, leaving another hot and sunny day. There was certainly an atmosphere at Pompeii, but unfortunately it was slightly spoilt for me by the hordes of tour groups, especially rowdy, bored kids who weren't really interested. There was also a lot more modern metalwork then I anticipated- I realise that they have to protect the ruins but there seemed to be a fair few metal ramps, barriers and road work type signs.
Tombs Cut Out Of The Rock
Shop Selling Hot Food
It is still very atmospheric though, and a snapshot of Roman life that suddenly ended on a fateful day in AD79. I did manage to embarrass myself though as we walked through a brothel, then further up the street Anne and I caught up with the group and I noticed that several of them were taking photos of a small carving on a wall. I asked one of our group members what it was, and he told me it was a 'symbol of the street'. I said 'But what is it?' he leaned fowards and whispered- 'It's a dick!'
Pompeii Street
Artifacts And Pottery From Pompeii
Just off the Forum was a building housing lots of pottery urns and columns which had been found during excavations. There were also plaster casts of the victims, including a poor dog twisted in agony.
Pompeii Forum
We were at Pompeii for almost 2 hours, yet I felt as though there was a lot more to see.
Howver we were due to catch the 4:30pm ferry from Naples to Capri. The crossing was smooth and took around an hour, I was very impressed by my first sight of Capri- it was beautiful.
Capri
It was tiring traveling down, as we needed to check in for our flight at 6am, which necessitated catching a National Express coach at 12:15am from Leicester and travelling through the night- meaning very little sleep! We arrived at Naples airport and we met by our tour leader, Lambros, for a taxi ride to Rome. We recovered a little and made our way up the road for a slice of pizza;
Saturday we had two tours, an optional one of the Vatican and one included tour of the Colisseum and Forum. Both me and Anne had opted for the Vatican one, which included the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican is a city within a city- completely separate from Rome. As we walked through hall after hall decorated with richly decorated ceilings, ornate tapestries and ancient marble statues, I was struck by how much wealth is held by the church. We didn't see the Pope though.
After a peek at the Sistine Chapel (complete with guards constantly telling everyone to shut up and respect the silence) we were taken into St Peter's Basilica, which is huge- resplendent in marble and statues. There is a bronze statue of St Peter here, with a queue of people waiting to touch his right foot as it is supposed to bring luck. As a result, the right foot of the statue is wearing away.
We walked out through the square of the Vatican, looking back at the impressive facade of St Peter's Basilica;
We could see the 'mile long queue' of people waiting to get in- sometimes it pays to book with a tour company!
The next tour was one I had been looking forwards to- the Colisseum and Roman Forum. I have wanted to see the Colisseum for such a long time, and it was every inch as impressive as I'd imagined, although the stone blocks which made up its construction were full of holes, as the bronze 'pins' which had been placed to keep them together had been robbed out centuries before and melted down.
As we went inside I noticed that there are two levels to the Colisseum, an upper and lower level. Our guide explained that there are stairs to access the upper level, and that although there are signed advising that these should not be used (I don't think they are ancient but they are quite steep and slippery so it's a health and safety thing), most people ignore them- there is even an exhibition at the top.
Of course, I decided to go up the stairs and walk all the way around the top deck, trying to visualise the Colisseum (or the Flavian Amphitheatre to give it its original name) in its heyday; if I closed my eyes I could just about imagine that the chatter of people were the excited murmuring of some long dead Roman audience.
Following the Collisseum we walked through the area of the Roman Forum, one of the main areas for people doing business etc in ancient Rome. It seemed a huge jumble of fallen stones and bits of buildings, but what was still standing was quite impressive, including one building with its original bronze doors. I tried to get creative with a few black and white shots;
Anne has some mobility difficulties due to a severe back injury so I kept her company by walking at the back of the group with her. We went on an optional meal that night, and afterwards were guided to the Trevi Fountain to see it lit up- I threw a coin over my shoulder, facing away from the fountain, to guarantee my return to Rome.
Sunday we decided to take an optional little trip to the Porta Portese fleamarket- quite a lot like an English one really, lots and lots of stalls selling the same kind of things- clothes, 'pound shop style' electical items and a few antiques. We did get a few bargains, but as we only had a set amount of time before the bus was due to collect us, we knew trying to see all of it was impossible. Anne said 'you could spend all day here', but once we reached the top of the road we had been walking up, we decided to walk down the opposite road a little way before cutting across to our original road.
At least, that was what we intended... what actually happened is that we realised we were hopelessly lost! After wandering for what seemed like ages and asking Italian policeman and being directed into circles ('we have passed that beggar with one arm three times!'), we bumped into another guy from our tour group, Mike. Unfortunately, Mike was just as lost as we were!
By the time we had made it back to our staring point the bus was long gone- Porta Portese was far enough from the centre of Rome to be off the maps in our guide books, so Mike suggested catching a bus. We saw one coming and clambered on board, asking the driver if it went to the centre. Unfortunately he couldn't speak English so just kind of grunted and drove off with us on board. So now we were on a bus, without a clue how to buy a ticket or where it was going!
After a while we noticed that people seemed to be just hopping on and off. I also realised we were nearing the Colisseum, where there was sure to be a Metro station, so when the bus stopped, we scrambled off. I know now that we should have bought a ticket at a kiosk and the driver could have asked to see it... but we survived! The Metro seems to be a very good way of seeing Rome- we bought an all day ticket for 4 Euros and carried on exploring (Mike returned to the hotel as he was taking an optional dinner extension).
Me and Anne went to St Paul's Basilica- not quite on the same scale as St Peter's but nice. We also had our first proper ice cream here- Italian ice cream is to die for...
We went to see the Trevi Fountain again in daylight, and as they were nearby, took in the Spanish Steps. This is a popular meeting place- I walked all of the way up them to the church at the top, which gave a fantastic view over the square and surrounding streets.
Monday was a busy day, as we were travelling to Vesuvius, Pompeii and then taking a ferry over to the Isle of Capri. This meant leaving the hotel at 7am, we managed it- just- even though we managed to lock ourselves out of our hotel room putting the cases outside the door!
It was another lovely sunny day in Rome, but as we drove south, the sun disappeared into cloud and it became quite chilly. By the time we drove up the windy road around the lower sloped of Vesuvius, we drove through the cloud cover to glorious sunshine. The bus dropped us off at a place known as the 'checkpoint', where there were shops and a row of portaloos. Lambros advised us that there is a track to the summit crater, which takes about 20 minutes walking.
Anne decided not to do it, but she knew I would! The path was quite a steep climb, covered with loose black soil and loads and loads of school groups. I made it up the the top quite quickly, which I think surprised most of the group as they had been used to me walking at Anne's speed! The summit was amazing- a huge crater, filled not with lava but gravel (I suspect that the lava would be at a lower level). It was so huge I had trouble getting a shot of the whole thing.
Interestingly enough, if Vesuvius were to erupt with the same fury as AD79, when Pompeii was destroyed, most of modern day Naples would be in the danger zone! I read that they can monitor volcanic activity on the mountain and would have chance to evacuate, but this would mean potentially evacuating some 500,000 people!
There is a path along the lower rim of the crater, which looks as though it carries on further, but the way is blocked by a shop and no entry sign, although I did see a group of people walking along the higher rim so presumably walking tours may be available.
I was eager to get back down to look in the large shop at the 'checkpoint', so had a brilliantly exhilirating run down the track, dodging tourists!
After lunch, it was time to visit Pompeii... another place I'd always wanted to see. The clouds had by now completely melted, leaving another hot and sunny day. There was certainly an atmosphere at Pompeii, but unfortunately it was slightly spoilt for me by the hordes of tour groups, especially rowdy, bored kids who weren't really interested. There was also a lot more modern metalwork then I anticipated- I realise that they have to protect the ruins but there seemed to be a fair few metal ramps, barriers and road work type signs.
It is still very atmospheric though, and a snapshot of Roman life that suddenly ended on a fateful day in AD79. I did manage to embarrass myself though as we walked through a brothel, then further up the street Anne and I caught up with the group and I noticed that several of them were taking photos of a small carving on a wall. I asked one of our group members what it was, and he told me it was a 'symbol of the street'. I said 'But what is it?' he leaned fowards and whispered- 'It's a dick!'
Just off the Forum was a building housing lots of pottery urns and columns which had been found during excavations. There were also plaster casts of the victims, including a poor dog twisted in agony.
We were at Pompeii for almost 2 hours, yet I felt as though there was a lot more to see.
Howver we were due to catch the 4:30pm ferry from Naples to Capri. The crossing was smooth and took around an hour, I was very impressed by my first sight of Capri- it was beautiful.
Labels: Capri, Italy, Pompeii, Rome, Vesuvius
