Fashionista fantasy land

I still say London is the fashion capital of the world in terms of the breadth and depth of the offer, but Milan's fashion district does have a wow factor and you can't move for luxury brands and beautiful retail. Took a wander down Villa della Spiga today, and it was suitably expensive and impressive - but I really do wonder, how many more branches of Dolce & Gabbana does one city really need? I did pop into a couple of outlet stores though, where you can find brands like Moschino and Balenciaga at "knockdown" prices, though still not knockdown enough for my budget.

I liked the centre of  Milan though - much less touristy and quieter than Rome, though with less to see with the notable expression of Piazza del Duomo

and the rather gorgeous Galleria del Vittoria Emanuele

(he was the guy who unified Italy, by the way). Of course it's much less sprawling than the capital, but I've still a large chunk to see.

After a very damp start to the day, and Four Weddings-style swearing when I overslept (so glad the train station was only 5 minutes away), I got on the Frecciorossa high speed direct train to Milan that took just 3 hours with speeds nudging 300km per hour. Very comfortable, with a few first class freebies, but what I don't understand is how come the Italians have cracked the mobile phone reception in a tunnel/underground location? My fellow passenger sitting opposite (who joined the train with a face like a slapped arse until she made a call to someone I imagine was her lover as she became very smiley and flirtatious and even put her hand over the phone to whisper sweet nothings - how I wish I could speak Italian) spent most of the 3 hours on the phone (thankfully, quietly), and we went through a lot of tunnels - so much so that I didn't get to see a huge amount of countryside. It was quite flat and agricultural for the most part though.

The other thing I like about these trains is that they have screens which besides posting a lot of advertising bumph, also give you useful updates on arrival time, location, weather at your destination and other stuff. Is it really beyond us to do the same?

Ten minutes' walk from the station and I arrived at Elsa's, my new Air BnB host. Sadly, there's no lift, so Nellie and I have to work our way up 5 flights, but I have the consolation of knowing that going down is usually easier. Elsa was sweet and helpful with wonderful English and a passion for art, so she helps me make a plan for my brief stay here and writes on a map as she talks. The room is well-equipped and spacious - thanks again Air BnB. (But can someone please tell me why non-UK washing machines have such tiny drums for tiny loads? Just askin'....)

I went in on the Metro,with a 24-hour pass even cheaper than Rome. and had a wander round the fashion district with a steely determination not to buy anything, even in the outlet shops - I managed to stay clean. After my daily ice cream (I stuck with vanilla today, and very nice it was too) I got on a vintage rickety  tram that I thought would take me to the Piazza dell Castello as that's what it appeared to say on the tin. Well I don't know if there were diversions - there did seem to be a lot of announcements which I couldn't understand and was too embarrassed to ask.

No. 1 tram in Milan - not a smooth ride but still fun!

After studying the map I realised I wasn't going where I wanted to be, so hopped off, walked 10 minutes in the wrong direction, and then eventually found my way to the Castle and the rather nice gardens just before it. It was busy, but bearable, with lots of Italians out strolling and all looking terribly smart. It appears to be a rule in Milan that you have to look sharp, and I felt quite dowdy in my double denim and stripey scarf.

The gate to the Castello and the gardens

I went into a couple of galleries in the castle - there are really good collections of musical instruments and ceramics, though very intermittent English translations so for the  most part I could only gaze rather than learn much. But the real reason I went (on Elsa's advice) was to see this unfinished sculpture by Michelangelo which is a bit special, and housed in the old Spanish military hospital in the castle

He spent years on it but died before completion, and apparently changed his mind about its formation several times. It's supposed to be the Madonna holding her dying son in her arms (very significant for M because he was very close to his mother), but there's also a random leg on the left of the sculpture as you look at it, and for me it could just as easily be Christ carrying his mother on his back. It's definitely worth seeing, though you have to buy a ticket for the whole of the castle at 8 euros.

Again at Elsa's recommendation, I moved on to the church of Santa Maurizio a short distance from the Castello on Via Magenta. It's beautiful and completely covered in frescoes - a totally painted church - which apparently isn't unusual but is the first I've seen I think. It's remarkable for the fact that it's divided into two, with a semi-hidden section at the back that was especially for the Benedictine closed order of nuns so that they could take the sacrament from the priest but not have to see or be seen. Most of the nuns were the daughters of rich families who could only offer to marry off their eldest girls because of the dowry system - so the poor younger siblings got sent to a nunnery while their brothers could do as they pleased. Sheesh.

After a quick look at the Duomo and a very expensive aperitif, I headed back to Loreto, the nearest Metro station, and consumed very cheap pizza and red wine before going back to Elsa's and writing this. Lots to see tomorrow, including a visit to the Milan Expo, where I have a cheap night time ticket.

Arrivederci Roma

Hit a bit of a low point today. I'm feeling more than a bit worn out.

Last night after blogging I went out for a couple of drinks locally with Gianni, who lives in the apartment while he's studying for his masters nearby. He's a family friend of Marco who owns the apartment, and he studied at Bucks University in High Wycombe so his English is excellent. We had a good old chinwag - he's a bit of an Anglophile and may well return to UK at some point. The night before I went for a drink with Annar, a young Polish woman I met on my second walking tour who was also by herself. Again, she's lived and worked in UK and is well-travelled in Europe with several languages under her belt.

So I've not been entirely short of company and I don't think that's the cause of feeling a bit down - I think I'm just knackered. After the pleasant stroll I had through Villa Borghese today, I finally got to see a couple of Caravaggios in the Santa Maria del Popolo church. It's certainly piqued my interest - his work seems to be about humanity rather than deity.

I found my way by nearby tram to MAXXI, the modern art gallery not a couple of kilometres north of Piazza Polpolo. The gallery is interesting and a fantastic design

and I enjoyed most of the exhibits, including lots of pieces in neon (excuse the arty selfie)

and a massive (as usual) piece by Anish Kapoor (probably about 20 feet long).

 I'd intended staying for lunch, but it was a bit pretentious moi - food on display, but no menus or prices or descriptions of what the food actually was, and so I trammed it back into the centre. I'd intended to treat myself at Babbington's tea rooms at the foot of the Spanish steps (still closed), but it was full and a bit pricey so I went to a little place with lots of lovely Tamara Lempicka pictures and had my default Caprese salad.

I'd then intended to do some more wandering and take up some more as yet unseen sights - it was about 3pm - but my legs were really protesting and it was as though they'd made a unilateral declaration of independence from my brain. I managed a bit of light shopping and a gelato, but I had to admit that my legs won the battle so I hauled myself back to the apartment. I've been averaging at least 10 miles give or take most days (according to my phone app) so I guess it's no surprise that they were going to give up on me sometime.

I did find this on the way back though, at Palazzo Barberini (one of the popes who pretty much bankrupted Rome) - just as Neil said, a wow on every corner. Btw, it's no wonder the Italians tend to dress well - they have plenty of great shops to choose from and mannequins are dressed to draw you in. I've yet to see a man in an ill-fitting suit

My travel pass had expired, but to be honest with such a limited metro and tram system unless you really know your buses, it's sometimes as quick to walk as use public transport. I came back, lay down on the bed a while and listened to the radio (thank you, wifi) and I'm now catching up with the blog but feeling quite down.

I'm not good at whiling away time and being busy doing nothing. I was determined to make the most of every minute of this trip, and not to have a particularly productive afternoon when I'm in one of the world's great cities has made me cross with myself. I have to keep remembering Neil's good advice from last week. He told me that it's ok to be tired sometimes or to "just be" in a place rather than dashing about trying to do everything. And I know he's absolutely right - I think I am sculpture and art and ancient-historied out and if I'm to make the most of Milan I probably did need to just stop a while. All the things that I've missed in Rome this time will still be there - I just have to come back with a new plan (though sadly I don't think I'll ever be bothered to join the shuffling hordes in the Sistine chapel again).

So in a minute I'm going to head out and get dinner and a large glass of wine, and then pack up Nellie and have an early night as the train to Milan is at 9am tomorrow. And tomorrow is always another day. (I really must watch Gone with the Wind in full at some point during my long leave as I seem to remember it's about 3 hours long.....)

Rome certainly not built in a day

Arrived here in Rome on Tuesday following a slightly rough sea voyage from Positano via Capri to Naples, and then on a super high speed (234km per hour, no less) train to Termini in Rome. The Air BnB apartment I'm staying in is perfect as it's just 5 mins walk from the station near Piazza Independenzione so Nellie is easy to manage.

I realise I'm a bit slow in getting to visit Rome this late in life - so I reckon that many of you reading this (if there are many of you) will already have been, so I'm not going to insult you by telling you what a great place it is because you already know. Nor will I go into lots of detail about the best places to visit as chances are you were there way before me.

I've been on two free walking tours which covered some of the major sights and as usual helped orientate me, though still didn't prevent me from getting lost a couple of times - so many tiny streets, and the large glass of red I posted on Facebook certainly didn't help me on the first night. I came uncomfortably near panicking because I seemed to be going around in circles - and with all the noise and the traffic, I was close to tears with frustration at my inability to follow a map. However, as usual I slapped myself about a bit (not literally of course) and in the end found my footsore way back before bedtime.

The walking tours here are quite earnest, taken by art historians and archaeology experts who spend time qualifying as guides and who aren't interested in giving you amusing anecdotes - just facts. They were good though, and I learned a lot - for example, how because Rome has been built up over the centuries (and over the centurions ha ha), about 80% of antiquities are still buried deep below the surface, and it's why they can't have a comprehensive metro system, as there's just too much archaeological heritage in the way of deep excavations . They've started building a line C, but already are having to find a way around a newly-discovered and important site.

So the poor old metro is packed to the gunnels and the buses and trams are too - most times I've used them (it's a very cheap 7 euros for a 24-hour pass) it's been standing room only. I've been walking miles every day too, but when the heavens opened yesterday (short-lived, but torrential) I caved in and got the metro. I had to come back to the apartment in the middle of the day as although I keep a close eye on the weather forecasts and had my trusty cagoule with me, my feet got really wet and you can't go all day in soggy socks and Converse.

So, places I have been and seen, and some things I have learned about being in Rome

Spanish steps: I skipped gaily down these to join the walking tour on day 1, only to discover on day 2 that they were closed for maintenance. As is the Trevi fountain (though you can still see it, it's hard to get a decent photo, so I didn't). As is the fountain in Piazza del Popolo. As are all the churches where I have gone in search of Caravaggio, who I still know very little about but appears to be a bit good at painting people and I really want to see more. Closed monuments and places of interest in Italy appear to be a continuing theme in this blog - even though I am assured that low season has not yet arrived, it doesn't seem to concern the powers that be who are sanctioning simultaneous renovations, a bit like when they dig up all the roads at once in London.

Yes, a hoarding advertising the 4 attractions currently being renovated all at the same time

The Colosseum - it was free to enter in its prime (certainly not now) and you had a whole day of entertainment, with the animals being killed in the morning so there was something to eat at lunchtime while you watched the Christians copping it. It used to be marble but it all got nicked once Nero was toppled and Constantine decided it was a bit mean to feed Christians to the lions. Then there was an earthquake that knocked half of it down too. I haven't actually gone inside as there's plenty of free stuff to see, but it's still very impressive. Really interesting to have seen the Olympic stadium when I was in Berlin as you can see where Hitler got the idea from....

The Pantheon is quite simply stunning. It took quite a while for me to close my mouth. The dull exterior just doesn't prepare you for the marvels inside.

A hidden gem is the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj just off Via del Corso. It's a palace that belongs to the descendants of Pope Innocent X, and the current prince of whatever kind of noble he is does the audioguide commentary.

The portrait of his ancestor by Velasquez is just breathtaking (sorry, it's a really bad pic cos I couldn't get close enough). In the Vatican museum hangs Francis Bacon's version of it - apparently he considered it one of the greatest portraits ever painted - have to say I quite agree. There are a couple of Caravaggios there too, but I couldn't take pics as they were very dimly lit.

The Vatican museum: the entrance fee isn't cheap, but you do get to see a lot of art for your money. It was inevitably busy, with a lot of really irritating people just taking snaps and not really looking at anything. The upside of the march of the penguins progress was that I had to slow my normal pace and take things a bit more slowly. I especially liked the round gallery with the massive statues of the gods, the Gallery of Maps and the modern art collection - it included Matisse, Sutherland, Chigall and even Dali as well as Bacon.

And of course there's the Sistine chapel. And for this I am still kicking myself as whilst I stared and stared up at the ceiling until the crick in my neck could bear it no more, I missed seeing the creation of Adam and left the chapel, having forgotten all about it. Talk about would you Adam and Eve it. So I bought an expensive (almost 4 euros) fridge magnet to compensate for my ridiculous error, and there's also this modern version of it that I quite like.

The museum is, however, one of the most difficult places to exit that I have every visited, (you're forced through a book/gift shop at every turn too), plus it takes a cut lunch to then walk around to St Peter's Square as there's no direct route through. The square is of course quite special. When I did the walking tour on Wednesday morning, we had to detour a bit as they were just letting out all the people who'd been to listen to the weekly papal address. It was like the aftermath of a football match but tidier and with prettier scarves - oh and brides and grooms who go along for a blessing.

Via Governor Viacci is a semi-pedestrianised street just off Via Emmanuel II with has lots of nice not very expensive shops, sandwich bars and small restaurants, and it's very friendly. I have to say that as a solo diner I'm getting used to indifferent service, but today was a notable exception and I was made to feel as important as everyone else.

Urban myths and observations - there is no such thing as bad coffee, wine and ice cream here. My favourite flavour in my daily tasting of the latter is Pirandello, which is almond with lemon. You could probably eat gelato from a different shop every day for a year, which would be very bad news for me. I'm also getting hooked on granita, the posh slush puppy.

I can't work out how everyone makes a living when there is so much competition for the tourist dollar. Every street corner, you're being offered a selfie stick, an umbrella or a rose, and many of the restaurants do have someone outside approaching you. It can be very irritating.

Just as Neil promised me, there is a wow around every corner, though I'm a little disappointed that many of the wows are closed, with no information. Using the metro and most public transport is very easy (though on trams and buses I'm sure people don't bother getting tickets!), and on the metro the signposting is great. Sadly, signposting on foot can be a bit rubbish with little continuity.

Speaking of on foot, Italy is a lousy place to be a pedestrian and most of Rome is no exception. Crossing the road can be a nightmare as there are few signal-controlled crossings, and even then because cars are allowed to turn right on red lights they will quite often intimidate pedestrians. I really wouldn't want to be elderly or disabled in this city, or wheeling a buggy. If you think you sometimes need to be Linford Christie to make a crossing on wider roads in time in London, you have to be Usain Bolt here and I think even he might struggle.

Just two other gripes - grumpy shop assistants who don't look you in the eye or even say thank you when you spend a small amount of money (though I had great service in a clothes shop yesterday and when she picked out the most perfect leather jacket for me I nearly weakened) - and of course ones who even tell you to v'a fangulo because they don't like you. Finally, removal of toilet seats in even decent restaurants so you have to sit on the pan or squat - why?? Oh, and lack of public conveniences - I haven't found any in Rome so far.

Tomorrow I'm planning to go to Villa Borghese in the hope that I can blag my way in to see some Caravaggio as no tickets are available online. And then if the forecast is right and it rains, I'm headed for MAXXI, a modern art museum designed by Zaha Hadid. So much art, so little time....

Revelling in Ravello

 Monday 5 October

Now dear reader - before I go any further I have to confess some stupidity. My dear chum Marie offered to take some bits and bobs back for me to lighten Nellie's load - but as well as offloading my burgeoning collection of fridge magnets (all terribly tasteful, of course - my budget goes up to 3 euros), I also sent back maps, business cards and any useful references to places I've visited. I'm now writing this 2 days later and of course I cleared out anything that would've been useful for this blog entry. So sorry if it's a bit light on detail but I'm afraid that everything's becoming a bit of a blur and my memory isn't what it used to be.

Today the weather was a bit mizzy - it stayed cloudy, humid and dull all day with a bit of rain in the afternoon. To make the most of it, we travelled to Ravello around the hairpins on the bus, enjoying the spectacular coastline and the spectacularly dangerous driving practised by many drivers. I was trying to pick out the Praiano terrace restaurant right on the coast where I'd had such a great lunch with an amazing view almost 30 years when visiting Annie while she worked in Naples. I think it's either now part of a hotel or - quel horreur - a parking lot now.

Ravello was worth it though - we really liked the little town with its big square and pretty back streets. And of course my kinda shop:

We visited the gardens at Villa Cimbrone (attached to a posh hotel), which were largely the work of an Englishman who just happened to be my namesake (Ernest Beckett - bet you didn't know I was really called Ernest...), along with Vita Sackville West. Whether he's a relation or not I won't know until I undertake the genealogy which is a given for my retirement when it comes. I guess it's pretty glorious when everything is in bloom, but it was a bit of a haven, together with its Infinity Terrace and Avenue of Immensity....

Photos to come - as so often am having synching issues.....

http://www.villacimbrone.com/en/theenglishperiod.php

We lunched well with a nice bottle of red at a wine bar with a restaurant attached. Sorry, but if you ever need the name of a decent place in Ravello then just ask as I will have recalled it by then. Marie and Chris wanted to visit another garden, so I caught the bus back to Amalfi - I had to stand all the way which was a bit of a balancing feat, but it wasn't a long trip so I emerged unscathed.

Amalfi was a disappointment though. I had the run-in with the horrible, aggressive shopkeeper (who is obviously in the wrong job) as reported on Facebook, which kind of tainted it anyway, but it was all a bit down at heel (weather didn't help), and we went into the cathedral which is lovely from the outside but inside is quite dreary as it's so very dark. It's full of ill-gotten wealth, and mainly interesting from the perspective of the focus on St Andrew.  The paper museum was closed on Mondays so we didn't get to do anything interesting, but we did have some rather fine ice cream.

We couldn't get on a bus to go back to Positano as the queue was too big - so rather than wait half an hour we took up the offer of the entrepreneurial City Sightseeing vendor and paid a rip-off 10 euros to get back on one of their buses instead. It felt worth it though.

We spent our last evening having a lovely meal on the terrace of the Caffe di Positano, a multi-tiered restaurant about 10 minutes downhill from us. The waiters have to cross the road to feed the vast majority of diners so take their life in their hands so you can have your gnocci and vino rosso, but they do so with cheerful nonchalance.

Back for the usual packing ritual in preparation for my early start to Rome. Although I've now been in the eternal city for a couple of days, it's late and I'll pick up again tomorrow night.

Capricious

Our day started after a lovely breakfast with a fun little parade of Fiat Cinquecentos "in giro" around the town. It was a meeting of the owners club, and there was a flotilla of vintage models in a variety of colours, some open-topped, some customised, and all yellow-trilbied drivers honking their horns and waving as they drove down the main one system. You couldn't help but smile - so charming, so Italian!

We caught the boat to Capri, which when you get off the beaten track away from the souvenir shops and designer boutiques (Prada, Miu Miu, Coccinelle anyone?) is still very pretty. It's now very well-heeled, and civilised - all street names and directions are picked out in ceramic tiles of the same colour and design.

The chair lift I remember from 1986 is now a funicular railway, taking you up from the Grand Marina to the Piazza Umberto. It's relatively cheap compared to restaurant prices. The island is so crowded with day trippers like ourselves, but from the cruise ships, it's really difficult to move around at any speed and in places it becomes quite claustrophobic. The views from high up are spectacular though.

One of many pretty hotels - see the white cat at the top of the arch

We walked to the natural arch which looked lovely from a distance, but close up it was covered in scaffolding. As usual, no mention of this was made anywhere and you couldn't actually get very close to it. I walked down to the Giardino Augustino, which are very small but nicely done, had an ice cream (I had two today - I really have to break this habit....) and bought some local perfume which will, I hope, make me smell like a lemon tree.

Joined Marie and Chris back in Positano, and after an early evening drink we headed for pizza with a marvellous view from a terrace overlooking the bay, and a little light entertainment from a kitten. There are worse ways to spend an evening....

Picture postcard perfect Positano

Saturday 3 October (happy birthday Dad - would've been 95 today x)

At 6am on the good ship TTT Lines I was rudely awoken by an announcement asking me to take my key to reception and letting me know that the restaurant was open - most unexpectedly, the ferry was on time, having left an hour later than scheduled. Fair following wind, current (it was a bit rough so I was glad of my cabin, and slept pretty well), I don't know how, but anyway I was delighted to find Chris and Marie already waiting for me when I got off the boat.

Our very competent English-speaking driver Antonio sped us to Positano, and we arrived at our delightful accommodation (sadly up lots of steps so was very glad that Nellie was whisked competently away by Antonio's biceps). We had breakfast with lovely fresh fruit grown in the garden here, and while our room was being made ready we made our way down into town. It's steep - very steep - so dodgy knees beware, though there is a little bus that does a circular route round and round the town. Timings are a bit approximate though so you can wait a while.

We went down steps to the smaller Formillo beach first, which has a whole heap of decent, cheaper restaurants running the length of it. We continued along the coastal path to the little harbour where we picked up info on boat trips, plus hats for Marie and Chris as the weather was turning out glorious thank you very much.

There's not a huge amount to see and do in Positano - if you don't like the beach (very dark sand, and also pretty crowded, obvs), then it's a place to kind of wander around. If you want retail therapy, especially of the clothing or ceramics variety, it's perfect. If you're a pedestrian, until you get right into the centre, it's the usual nightmare. But it's soooo pretty, and of course at night with all the lights up on the cliffs, just breathtaking.

Formillo beach with great informal restaurants with decent food. Burgers? What are they?

Beautiful cathedral dome in the middle

We ended up walking in and out of town with all the steps and hills 3 times yesterday - first time back to our accommodation to check in, second time to go for lunch and a further wander, and the third to go for dinner. (By the time I get back in a month I am going to have the most amazing calf muscles.) Our accommodation is fantastic value, with Maria, a great host (her dad grows the fruit we've been eating) - it's a mini apartment, with Chris & Marie sleeping on a mezzanine above, and me on a sofa bed. There's a separate bathroom and kitchenette and a balcony, and with a great breakfast it's costing us maybe less than £40 a night each.

Fresh fish for dinner, an aperol spritz, local wine from Ravello and 2 small ice creams - sigh.....

As I write, it's Sunday and we're about to head off on a little trip to Capri. Chris is very excited as there's a Fiat 500 festival here today and there all going to be "in giro" around the town shortly. Sometimes Italy is just too Italian.