A touch of France

  Fano, Marche, Italy
Sunday, May 18, 2008

We were staying in a large 3 bedroom house mid-way between the towns of Fano and Pesaro, surrounded by olive groves.  From the upstairs windows you could make out the ocean in the distance.  We had a few stormy nights and it was interesting to watch the lightning rolling in from the ocean. 

One night, as I was closing the shutters, I saw little dots of light in front of me.  At first I thought I was exhausted and seeing things, but looked again and realised they were fire flies.  We were really lucky to see them as they only appear for a short time around May, when they light up to attract a partner.  We were also told that they are becoming rarer as the use of insectiside is killing them off.  We went outside, in the dark, and could see the fire flies flitting in and out of the olive trees and all around us.  It was one of the most magical moments I have ever encountered.  

We visited Pesaro first and loved it so much it took us a while to get to Fano.  The centre of town was closed to cars and everyone seemed to have a bike.  A lot were old-style, with baskets, making it feel positively French - only the baguettes were missing.  The town had a great vibe to it, interesting buildings and galleries, a large and lively piazza and is the hometown of Rossini (the composer) and Valentino Rossi (motorcycle champion).  It is also beside the sea with gardens, good (surprisingly!) restaurants and an impressive, spherical bronze sculpture that is somewhat the symbol of the town. Did I forget to mention the gelati?  Mmmmmm.......chocolate fondente.

We visited Fano on market day which meandered through the old part of town.  Another great town with impressive buildings and fountains.  We headed down to the seaside for lunch.  Not the best of ideas for a non-fish or seafood eater :(  There were some impressive boats being built and lots of people enjoying the nice, sandy beach.  We were hoping to return the next day for a Children's Day at the beach but were rained out.

We did a very enjoyable day trip to the tiny town of Gradara that is swamped by its large castle. The castle is renown for being the home to the lovers in Dante's Inferno.  I'll have to add that to my list of books to read!  The castle was very impressive - from the frescoes to the furnishings and the architecture.  After lunch in a pretty courtyard of a restaurant, we headed on to the seaside town of Gabbice Mare, the regions answer to Surfers Paradise.   The contrast between Gradara and Gabbice was enormous; ancient to modern(ish), hilltop to beach, slow life to the good life.  It was a real tourist town, full of shops, but the beach was one of the nicest we have seen in Europe.  We had great fun with Ethan, wading in the water and playing in the sand.