An Italian train adventure ... by car

Well, yesterday was the last farewell to our guests who had joined us to share Deb's birthday. Friday had seen Scott depart on the train (see below) from Umbertide, the beginning of his trip back to London, via Rome and Paris (has a slightly more cosmopolitan ring to it than heading to Brisbane, via Ballina and Byron :-) ... though each to their own and each special in their own way, no doubt). You might recall he was heading to Paris to buy a bike and ride it back to London!

Belinda farewelling Scott

The remainder of Friday was relatively quiet; Steve & Helena went for a walk around the Montone countryside having packed a picnic (Steve showing his hidden romantic side!), Kylie reading a book and realxing in the afternoon sun with Belinda and Deb. Of course, there was the obligatory lunch. This time we enjoyed the sunny verandah views from Taverna del Verziere.

We had a our final dinner together (I contemplated writing "the last supper" but we have not yet been to Milan, and it sounds far too final and gloomy for the wonderful week we have had) returning to L'Antica Osteria. The photo below left shows their much loved, unusual (and very tasty) creme brulees ... and the photo below right is included because we were also celebrating our wedding anniversary and the image captures what a wonderful time it has been and I thought it shows what the creme brulee flames express so well (Steve's timing was impeccable).

An interseting conclusion to dinner was a chat with another couple from Perth (and their young son) who were staying in a nearby villa on this stage of their trip around Italy for 3 weeks. Interesting because it was also to celebrte her 50th birthday, due later in the year. Small world! Essentially we were following eachothers route in reverse.

So to Saturday and the remaining departures ...

Well, Steve & Helena headed off without drama in their trusty Fiat Punto. Helena feeling far more relaxed from her stay in Montone than when she arrived from the chaos of Rome; of course, she had no intention of loosening her grasp on their GPS Navman! It was great to spend the time with them and they added a special vigour to the week; Helena has a knack of livening up a room ... hopefully we will see them in Australia around March 2011.


That left us to get Kylie and Belinda down to Perugia to catch the their train to Rome, via Orte. We had studies the map carefully and noted directions to Ponte San Giovanni, which turned out to be far less difficult than they appeared in writing. So we arrived with an hour or so to spare after a quick trip down the E45. Tickets purchased without hiccup, platform and departure time confirmed by word of mouth and on the departure board. We headed off for a wander around some nearby shops and had morning tea enjoying the morning sun ... you get the picture ... so what was the drama?

Well, back at the station, bags at the ready, lined up with other travellers on Platform 1, at the appointed time a train pulls in - on Platform 3! Other travellers, muttering away in Italian head off down the platform to cross the tracks at the rear of the said train and hop aboard ... so we decide to follow suit. Alas, lugging the suitcases across the tracks (the platforms are basically ground level so that was not an issue) an onto Platform 3, we arrived as the doors closed! Remonstrating with an attendant, pointing to the doors and bags, all to no effect as he waved to the conductor at the front end of the train ... and off went their train! Funny now, not so at the time, Lou stormed back inside and let fly (in her very best English getting ever more slow and loud) until the ticket seller had a such a blank look we might as well have been in Pompeii already :-). The next train would have seen them reach Rome too late for their flight to Paris ... luckily, we had the car ... hence the title for this post ...

So we set off, initially with the intention of going to the airport in Rome. We had plenty of time, but I was just a tad nervous about navigating Rome. About 30km down the highway we cam around a downhill bend to a see a very large billowing cloud of very balck smoke, seemingly in the middle of the highway. Still calming down from the train departure, various snide remarks were passed about a train wreckage (crass, I know, but we were laughing out very loud at our misfortune rather than being vindictive) ... it turned out to be on the other side of the highway (thankfully for us); one of those mobile truck cranes had caught fire and was well alight, but it appeared (thankfully for the driver) that no one was on board as all were well back as the fire engine was just arriving as we passed. No train though. This led us to checking our progress and talking about potential delays, etc, and we decided we had ample time to reach Orte. This was the station where they were changing trains for the final leg to Rome. We arrived in loads of time and as well as being able to relax and enjoy some late lunch (keeping a very close eye on the departure board for last minute platform changes), even enjoyed seeing the missed train from Perugia arrive (in the background below)!

Finally, we were able to out them on their train and wave farewell (see below), wishing no further dramas as they too headed to London via Rome and a few days in Paris. A happy and fond farewell as the rmainder of the journey begins ...

And so, the Italian train adventure ... by car was done.

We took a quick tour around the clifftop villge that is Orte (VERY hairy narrow streets that quickened Deb's heartbeat several times as she peered out the window to see nothing but distant hills and very close parapet). One quickly develops a sense of the reason for very small cars in Europe! We called in to a supermarket to collect a few pieces of local produce for dinner ... the pork chops, potatoes, tomatoes and zuchinni were just delicious - even if we do say so. They were a terrific homely end to another unexpected Umbrian day; an early night was just the ticket ready for what so far has been a wonderfully quiet and peaceful second Sunday in Montone. A quick call to hear Kylie and Belinda enjoying breakfast in Monmartre and a longer call to talk with Ashlee as she heads back to school for her final few weeks hearing about her holiday, study, upcoming final classes and tests and most of all her hopes of a Xmas job as she sets out on life beyond school ... ah, that was  time ... Ash, I'm sure all your hard work will pay off!

 Finally, as I said a week ago, it is going to be hard to pack up and move on from here, but there remains a lot to look forward to. Once again, arrivederci.