Arezzo and San Marino

Arezzo

Boy oh boy. After getting off the coach,  the walk to Arezzo town was all up hill and I thought my knees were going to break before we arrived at the top - and this was the start of the day!  I felt sure I would just have to sit somewhere and wait out the time for the coach to pick us up.  However when you know it's the only time you're every likely to be in a place, you push yourself to keep on.

As it happened,where we started the walk wasn't the designated meeting place later.  We finished the walk with a local tour guide and then had about 40 mins free time before we had to meet up.

Town Square

Jonathan said "You can't get away from Collingwood.  They've even got their flag here!"

This was the back of yet another church - one built on top of the ruins of another and another as was the general practice.

 Simple inside

 Very high front of church

Under the archway at the front of the church are figures for each month of the year to indicate what activity should be undertaken in that month. For example it might be preparing the harvest, killing the (fatted) pig for celebration etc. Most communication was visual ( as the vast majority of people could not read or write) and the Church provided most information and people conformed ( less face it) because of their fear of God / unknown and the power of the rich and of course the Church.

The local guide ended her tour in front of yet another Cathedral with a temporary exhibition of some white figure on the steps.  Remember J is someone who doesn't particularly like churches but he is such a lovely man.  Just as we were about to wander off, we realised what was in this Cathedral so we paid to go in.  

We could remember the Arts programme on the ABC some years ago with Sister Wendy visiting this same Church.

The golden rule - always look up as well as to the sides and down. What a ceiling! This was a wow, wow, can you believe it place! I almost got giddy standing in the one spot and looking round at the walls and ceiling.

Part of the not so humble floor.

( I love all art and architecture but I am no expert and remain so ignorant on what I have seen or the history of it. Jonathan on the other hand has a good general knowledge and just adds to it with each place we visit.)

After a super quick visit we grabbed a "bread roll" ( seems indecent to call it that) and were burning our mouth on our coffee when we received word that the meeting time was delayed due to coach mechanical problems.

To fill in time we had another coffee and then wandered with the resultant fooling around with the temporary exhibition of umbrella figure hung in the streets.

 One of the many umbrella figures

 J&J

 Julie

Jonathan 

 I spied Di and asked her to join me in a "photo shoot" as well.

 Di and Julie

Of course, Di then had a few more ideas for a photo

Just as we were making our way back to the meeting point again, we learnt there was a further delay as the coach had to be swapped due to a valve having to be changed - and this had to be done in a workshop rather than by the road side. 

So we had more coffee and more food.

Bythe time we arrived at our scheduled overnight stop of San Marino we were a couple of hours later than what had been planned.  ( The swapped coach didn't have the normal setup for the tour ie had an extra 9 seats in the coach and so it did feel rather "squashy" for the 39 of us on tour.  Fortunately the coach was swapped the next day to the one that had the " more legroom" configuration that we were used to - ie 9 less seats).

San Marino
We had the option of being dropped off at the hotel ( which looked like another Fawlty Towers) or continuing on for another walk and free time at San Marino - to wander and get ourselves an evening meal. Even though I doubted my knees would thank me, I didn't want to say the only time I has spent in San M was at Fawlty Towers 2, so we opted to continue to go on the walk that was " all uphill".  Surprisingly, the walk up wasn't as taxing as in Arezzo in the morning but with the end of the tourist season, most places were closed in the walled city.

We did enjoy the scenery and the architecture - and the sunset was glorious.  

After that, the walk back was all downhill.  Whenever we " wander" we try to go off the main path and look for cafes, restaurants that display the Trip Advisor sign.  It appeared we were completely out of luck until I spied a man and lady with a child in a pram, seemingly reading a blank wall.  Using my magnificent powers of detection, I followed them and found they had been reading a menu. We continued our stalking down an archway and stairs to a wonderful restaurant - where no other members of the tour group were to be seen.

As we passed through the glass doors, I noticed various awards from Trip Advisor ( don't ask me what they were) and our first glimpse inside was a huge almost empty dining room with one table occupied with the chiefs eating their dinner before the start of the evening shift.

After a brief lull, the chiefs and wait staff moved at first as if they had been awakened from slumber and then gradually the activity and noise level of Italian voice and pots and pans increased.  All of a sudden it seemed as if there was an orchestra playing ( of language, kitchen sounds) all to the accompaniment of the play where the audience were the captivated diners awaiting their orders.   The actors were the wait staff.  They seemed to glide from different directions of the large restaurant ( there was another room that remained closed) and their actions and chatter, increased as they seemed to come nearer - but not intersect.  The table of older local males, provided additional laughter colour and commentary.

It was a wonderful night that again, to us, ended far too quickly.  It was a place to linger and savour the moment - as well as the food - and the jug of wine (again). 

Our first course from the second set menu.

Our main course from set menu

Our take away dessert from set menu

The only disappointing thing about the night was that we had to rush to return to the meeting time and place for the group.  The most wonderful things were 

* the entertainment by the staff and regular patrons as they went about their ordinary shift, 

* the venue; and 

* the meal. 

It was truly another unexpected highlight made even the more memorable because it was "ours" that we had found by chance.  Must have been all those church visits!

After  rejoining the Group we went to our Hotel and when I saw the key, I thought - it definitely must be Fawlty Towers 2.

The rooms were bigger and better than Fawlty Towers 1 but if we hadn't gone on the walk all we would have seen of San Marino would have been the " tres chic objects d'art" in the Hotel.  Thank goodness we scored (for the first time) a hotel booking with 2 rooms as after about 4 hours when the wind increased during the night and constantly blew open a window with so much force that there was a consistent banging and gale force wind, we retreated to the twin beds in second room - and didn't care what happened with the gale and wind in the other bedroom.

We were happy to get on the coach the next day.

Farewell San M - glad we saw more than Fawlty Towers 2