My Italian Adventure part 1

[Amberley]

My Italian Adventure:

Hello, Sorry for the delay in sharing my adventures, but I have beeen soooo busy since arriving back in Oz and am still catching my breath!

Anyway Amberley is now back and all the more worldly for her experience prior to the feasting of Italian food, culture and not to mention the 23 bottles of wine, 2 bottles of vodka, various bottles of French champagne and gin and tonics....oh and definitely a couple of kilos, sorry to all my regular clients but this fatty boom boom will not be slipping into any fishnets or corset’s for at least a week, I need a drastic diet and exercise regime...but that is what I love about holidays, there is no watch and no calories....I only need be concerned of those when in the home land!!!

So where do I start??? the croissants for breakfast every day, The Caprese Salads, the Espresso stops, the fact that I walked straight past Hugh Jackman and Deborah Furness in Milan, or the Red Double Decker Sightseeing buses that I had to go on in every place I went, the Colosseum, the Canals in Venice and that the taxi boat pulled right up to the door of the hotel, the Statue of David in Florence, the Vatican City in Rome, meeting with Nancy or the Amalfi Coast by scooter????

There is so much to talk about, I obviously had an amazing time I learnt so much about the History of Italy in all the cities I visited, like I said the best way to do this in limited time is to jump on and off those Red Buses, they take you to all the tourist places and they do the loop generally every 30 minutes or so.

I flew into Milan and we hired a car, my friend ’Harry’ drove us to Lake Como and a town called Lecco which had the most amazing view of the Lake, just breath taking. So with ants in my pants, Miss Amberley was up early and wanting to get out and about, so I knocked on my friends door to get him up for an early morning walk, it was so crisp, and the clouds were really low over the hills, you could smell coffee permeating from coffee shops everywhere and the freshly baked pastries filled the windows....I was in heaven…. but I knew my butt wasn’t going to like this!

We drove around the Lake and caught a ferry (with the car on it) to Belagio then drove to Como itself, this place was a buzz with people, I took a boat ride along the Lake and stopped off for a Chianti (fancy that!) one of many to follow on this trip....my Amberlings should be called Amberley does Chianti on tour!!!

Milan was full of many beautiful people, all dressed to the nines and here is Moi in her casual cargo pants and runners, I tell you, how on earth to some girls get around in high heels like the ones I saw all day...Fashion – huh – who cares...give me comfort thanks....so my self esteem was a little low, but I knew my feet were going to feel a whole lot better than theirs even if they looked totally fabulous!

It was fantastic as I hardly wore any make up the whole trip nor did I indulge in high heels, in fact the two pairs I took I arrived back with me still unworn!!!

The highlight of Milan for me was the piece of art I purchased, seeing Hugh Jackman and not much else really....boohoo to Milan!

Ok, so I will stop there, for now, to catch my breath a do a few little chores, then post a bit more tomorrow…. So stay tuned, by for now, love Amberley xxx

 

[Amberley]

Re: My Italian Adventure part 2

Venice... Oh 'WOW"... what a truly amazing place this, oh and just for the record, there was no red Sightseeing bus here, but you knew that didn’t you??? ...Yes, they don’t have any cars on this island!

The Water Taxi picked me up from the Train Station and took me straight to my hotel through the narrow waterways with other boats and gondolas as traffic to contend with, these drivers have obviously been brought up on the water as many a good skipper I am sure would struggle to get around these narrows waterways in the time that they do with no drama, The hotel was divine, totally boutique just like the pictures on the internet portrayed it, if anyone would like some tips on where to stay, just ask!!!

It was like a one bedroom funky contemporary apartment with champagne to drink on arrival, ...which seemed like a good idea as I had sat on the fast train for nearly 3 hours from Milan and my liver was calling for some...and I was hungry too, so first port of call was for food of course....nearly everywhere you go would give you a basket of bread and oil and balsamic vinegar while you wait for your meal, not sure why they want to fill you up on freebies, surely they want you to eat more??

Even some places when you just ordered wine would give you crisps, hell I would never, when at home, eat the things I ate over there...

I could easily be convinced that smoking is a National Sport in Italy as it is everywhere, thank God I live in Australia I say, to the left and to the right, no jumping up and down to slap the knees instead I wish I could’ve slapped the two tables of people right next to me that all were smoking, and all while I was eating...oh well, my friend kept reminding me I had better get used to it...I remember 10 years ago being in Europe and nothing has changed in that sense, get with it!!

So lots of walking down narrow maze of lanes, Venetian glass shops in abundance, tourism is the main source of income for the island its amazing to see how they make the glass pieces and not to mention the lack of Safety concern while using the hot irons in the fires, one guy had on thongs at least he had on socks, he obviously thought that would help in some way...something you just wouldn’t see in Australia.

Florence is the next stop, so we try to hire a car back in Milan, but by now the Volcano has erupted so many stranded travellers have taken what ever form of transport they can to get to their next destination...we searched for 4 hours until we could find a car to hire, we apparently got the last one and this was really the last place we could try.

So we get to Florence a little later than planned so only had time for dinner the first night, the second day was spent on the Sightseeing bus (both routes) and on foot seeing as much as I possibly could as I was leaving this gorgeous place in the morning.

I took the bus up to Fiesole for lunch this gorgeous town is in the mountains over looking Florence, totally amazing view and history of two towns separated for many years, but now are united.

I hopped on the other sightseeing bus to see the other gorgeous side of town where Michelangelo lived as did Galileo, the Stature of David stood as a monument overlooking the town and the view from here was just as breathtaking.

It is so hard to imagine what it might have been like living back in these days, hell no IPhones!

Rome was a very quick stop only one day , well not even that really, I arrived at the hotel at lunchtime and then left the next morning...but I jam packed it all in in true Amberley style I cannot sit still!!!.

I managed to visit the Vatican City, (and brief 'chat' with Nancy), also the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain and yes I threw my coin over my shoulder and made my wish...still waiting for that to materialise, but I remain optimistic!!

Last stop was Sorrento and this was one of my favourite places. I stayed in the most amazing hotel that was on the side of the cliff over the ocean, just breathtaking, I couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was, I was very excited with this pick!!!

Of course I did the sightseeing tour bus on the first day , those bus drivers are amazing, I liken them to the skippers on the boats in Venice, the windy narrow roads barely enough room for two cars were manoeuvred with ease. I on the other hand was on the top of the double Decker on the edge looking over the cliff and the drop I saw was enough to make me change seats to save my adrenalin for something else thanks!..

The Amazing views out to the island of Capri, the gorgeous colour of the Mediterranean sea and the enormity of the mountains (some over 1000m above sea level), the size of the lemons were bigger than grapefruits – just amazing, the citrus trees, the olive trees (the best green olives I have ever had) , the sun was out although it was only about 20 degrees it was sensational.

The final day was spent on scooters riding the Amalfi Coast, breathtakingly beautiful... I just love to be near the water I find it soothing, the fresh air you breathe off the water is so relaxing. So I decided it was a good idea to dare my friend to swim in the water off the jetty that was visible from our hotel, I did pick my timing to chose when I thought this was an appropriate thing to dare and this is always best done after the consumption a couple of drinks, especially after the lovely waiter decided we should drink some Limoncello, then some other potent alcoholic death drink (that one got tipped in the garden bed next to me) it was vile....and would you believe it, the dare was taken up.

Next day, I certainly didn’t forget, his head had some slight recollection of it followed by a “oh no!”, so off we go down the hotel lift to the water’s edge out on to the jetty, I am extremely excited as you could tell the water was going to be freezing, hell they had just come out of Winter barely into Spring and it just had that icy cold look about it, so on the jetty off with the clothes the foot gets dipped in and I am smiling with enjoyment...that will teach him to be 10ft tall and indestructible after a couple of drinks, now he sounds like a little mouse squealing ...hahaha...I thought he was going to back out and I was giving him words of encouragement like ‘get in or I am never going to believe you ever again, or just dive in, it will be less painless than dancing around it’, I’m so compassionate aren’t I?!?!?! In he goes to my amazement!!! I had to promise I wouldn’t run off with his towel and clothes, you see that is something I would have done and found rather funny, damn it, he got in first and made me promise!!!!

While my travels have been rather a thought provoking, enlightening, relaxing, cultural experience in so many ways there is nothing that can compare to home, the sanctuary we create for ourselves, that comforting feeling that exists with familiarity, there is none better...and I can finally have my soy lattes again, no soy milk to be seen in Italian cafes!


Sorry it has been late in arriving, but I have had difficulty logging on to the site during past couple of weeks.

Arrivederci love Amberley xxx

 

[cougar]

It sounds amazing Amberley, and I am so jealous. It sounds as if you consumed every experience fully..

 

[Sir Stefan]

Amberley is one amazing lady who lives life to the ful... and it would appear that extended also to her Italian Adventure... She tells me she also has a skuba diving experience coming up in the north West soon... and then she will be off to the USA... Wow, this girl is certainly 'living life' compared to what she was doing just 12 months back, stuck behind that 9 til 5 desk!

 

[Farm Boy]

Amberly can you tell us a bit more about Nancy?

 

[WRXXR]

Sounds like you had a great trip! Italy is sensational isnt it! Next time you go back, try and go to Capri. Close your eyes and you can almost a 30y/o Sophia Loren winding her way up a little curvy seaside road in a convertable! Staying on the cliffs would be truely mindblowing!

Travelling is something that i love more than anything else. New cultures, new people, the highest of high's and some eye opening lows. Great life experience. I loathe coming in to land in Perth to the point i actually get cranky. I have a giant map on my wall and every day i find new places that i will someday visit.

I'm not one for cliche'd quotes but why not!
"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”