Last week in Europe!!
Trip Start
Mar 06, 2009
1
11
Trip End
May 07, 2010
Where I stayed
Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The last week went quickly and it was strange as these situations always are. (Because we often finish up working in Tuscany but anyway).
Barbara and Ugo came back and we had a celebratory dinner ready for them - the curry vegetables with the golden ticket coconut milk. They loved it though they were hiccupping and coughing all over the place (we thought it was quite mild oops!) and then Ugo kindly took us out for our last soccer match in Montisi. We got to the bar and found a big Italian birthday party underway where the big screen was showing the football so Ugo took us in and part watched the game while introducing us to people who wondered why we were there but offered us pizza all the same. Of course they were making pizzas from scratch there and of course there was a proper pizza oven there!
Unfortunately we were full from our curry but it was cool to see it all happening! Everyone got quite excited about the soccer though the team that won was no ones favourite there. They were both Italian teams but one of them had a shieks oil money and most if not all of the team was NOT from Italy. One guy was Croatian and when he got a goal a young boy yelled something that Ugo laughingly translated to 'Fuck you gypsy!' - so I remained quiet and told no one of my gypsy roots. Cripes.
The next morning we did a bit of tending to the vineyard but were told to stop and relax and pack to be ready to go. So we pottered around and I stood outside taking it all in, its really sad to be leaving such a beautiful house and land, and all the little towns and hills surrounding it. I patted all the pets and suddenly the lack of toilet and hot shower really wasn't such a big deal and I wanted to stay. But I was slowly getting excited as we were going somewhere new.
Barbara and Ugo kindly took us out for the last night to have dinner with them and their new tour group. So we went to Siena again which was great because the photos we took there the last time Shane had accidentally deleted so it all worked out well. We went to find the same little restaurant that served the wine in huge fishbowl glasses and ended up having to rush as there was a big ceremony/march situation happening in the main square. Lots of little areas were cut off and there was a Catholic head looking over it all (not Il Papa but someone big in white) and lots of boys with colourful flags that we think represented the different regions of Tuscany or Siena. We managed to get to the restaurant and had a glass of wine but the guy was quite surly and no one else was there (possibly why he was so surly) so the feeling was a little different and when we went to pay we found it to be WAY different to last time and now it was 12 euros!!!!!! So the feeling turned different again and we stormed off. We found the restaurant we had to meet everyone at and had a quick little coffee shot nearby as no one was there yet. The dinner turned out to be really great and lots of fun.
There was only a couple in the latest tour but Barbara had also invited another Australian couple who they were friends with so it was a nice big dinner. We had pastas (one a favourite with saffron) and big salads, bruschetta, spinach, bread, and meat for the others. The desert was another matter as I picked the cream one (cannot remember the name) that was PHENOMENAL. A light custard cream with burnt toffee sugar on the top. Oh My Hey Zeus. We rolled home and went to bed late but happy. Because of everything happening in the last few days suddenly we woke up and that was it! We had to go and we were out early the next morning.
I went to pee at the Trove farm for the last time and saw a deer right up nearby!! We stood and stared at each other and then he started making quite a racked and when I moved he pranced off crying some more. A nice way to leave! Ugo took us to the station which was great and there were quick but half asleep goodbyes. The dogs knew something was up and I didn't get a chance to write a nice letter goodbye but we did write a good review for them on their website. And we will definitely get them something from South America to thank them!
So we then had a long day of trains and the changing of them.
We went from Sinalunga to Chiusi, then to Roma Termini, then to the Metro and then to a smaller Metro regional line. This last line was not clearly marked and there was no consistency in the stopping of stations as some were listed and others not. So typical for Italy but still frustrating!! We finally made it to the station we needed to them wait for the shuttle bus from the camping grounds. We had got a caravan type room as it was cheap and only 20 minutes from Rome - it also had a shuttle to the airport we needed too. So we got out at Prima Porta station and waited for the half hourly shuttle.
The station was pretty dodgy with lots of broken down vending machines and graffiti and garbage around. There were a group of gypsies that hung around until a little bus took them all off (after much deliberation). There were also lots of normal sized buses coming and going but not our shuttle bus. We were tired and there were not taxis so we couldn't even just get there ourselves. We waited 45 minutes before one came and we were so relieved. The fact a group of young Germans were waiting near the end of it all reassured us somewhat as we figured they must be going to the camping ground and we were right.
We got to Camping Tiber and settled in. It was a huge place and had a really nice feel to it. The one thing that struck us - literally and figuratively - was the phenomenal amount of fluff that was floating around in the air. We realised it came from some of the plants and it was seriously everywhere. And looked like fluff that had just come from a pillow that had been broken. Like people in heaven were having a pillow fight and it just kept floating down. One of the workers told us it only happens for one month a year which is good Most people were rubbing their eyes and sneezing.
I became no exception but more the epitome of it all. It came over me slowly then very quickly. I was tired anyway but it got to the point that I could barely see and was so debilitated that I just went to sleep while choking on my gunk. Shane kindly went to get me some allergy medicine and when he returned I took some and went back to sleep. I woke up in the early evening and it was like I was back to normal. Drugs are so crazy. So I came out and found Shane chatting with another Australian couple from Fitzroy. Such a small world! We ended up having some drinks with them and I later had a great pasta at the restaurant there. That night there was some rain and that helped with the pollen/pillow fluff but as it got warmer the next day it was out in full force. It did look kind of magical and sweet as it floated around the whole massive camping ground, but it really was the fluff from hell.
I walked to the Tiber river and then we walked into the little town type suburb where there were more bars and cafes. We stopped for a coffee shot and found some amazing take away tiny plastic things about a third of a size of a prima (not a freaking popper) that were mini coffees. So Italian. We bought some, obviously, and got great pleasure out of drinking from the tiny straw. We went to the Birreria for a wine and suddenly the dark clouds that had come up early in the afternoon (surprise surprise) erupted with thunder right above us so we stayed under shelter there and hand another wine. We later went inside as the courtyard began to flood our feet a bit, and tried some Amaretto which was the most beautiful thing.
We both fought over who would have the Amaretto's babies but it remains an unfinished conversation. We tried another Amaretto type from a bar on the way home but it was more bitter. More of a digestive which is good in a different way. That small bar actually had a squat toilet - just when I thought I was through with that in Italy!
We went back and met up with the Australian couple again and got to bed late. Not what I wanted as we were up at 3.30am the next morning to get the shuttle to the airport. Sigh.
There was heavy cloud as we drove there but all went ok and we got to Frankfurt. We then had to change and take a shuttle bus to the main Frankfurt airport (connecting flights do not exist if you take the cheapo option most times) and then once at the right airport we had to wait 12 or so hours until our flight to San Jose. So we posted things home to make our packs lighter (money continuing to flow from us like water into the hands of the greedy Europeans) and then we put our big packs in storage while we wandered around the airport. Shane went to buy a book and we had some miscommunication because we then lost each other for over two hours and despite looking in the same area we fluked it finally and I saw Shane waving.
We ate some veggie stirfry which was great and later had felafel and veggie wraps so this made us happy. We then embarked on a coffee period and after quite a pumped time I am only now fading. We were able to check in early which was GREAT and we are now waiting among a lot of Asians at our gate but it seems they will have a plane before us. Now its just a matter of not going to sleep until we can get on the plane. Hard.
Just want to sulk and whinge and lay on the ground. Sleepy as a bastard.
Shane says:
This week we got pretty good at the power shower; it seemed that the storm clouds would always roll in straight after lunch, just before our bathing/walking time. It was a daily (or every second day if we were lazy) race against the clock to boil the water and have an outdoor shower before the wind carrying the Siberian chill came charging down the valley
Barbara and Ugo arrived back on Saturday and I cooked a curry - I procured some curry paste while in London and was saving it for a special occasion, and knowing that they aren't too keen on the super flaming burn your tastebuds off so that even air stings your mouth like a mofo hotness which I am quite partial to, so I watered the curry down a bit, but it still managed to bring tears to Barbara's eyes and hiccups to Ugo - apparently Chilli does that to him. That night Ugo took us to the usual soccer haunt at the bar/cinema. This time the game was on the cinema screen downstairs and someone's birthday party was on in that room, so we crashed their party, it was fun and I'm glad to have had one last Italian soccer experience.
Sunday morning was spent tending to the vineyard and during the afternoon we packed up. Barbara and Ugo were meeting clients for the new walking tour in Siena and they wanted us to come so they could shout us dinner. It was also an opportunity for us to get more photos as I accidentally deleted the last ones.
Monday morning we took the early train to Chuisi, where we waited for our connecting train to Roma. It was good to leave Trove, and I'm looking forward to visit again, when it's someone else's turn to empty the crap bucket.
We finally arrived at the camp ground mid afternoon and as Milli mentioned we made friends with another Melbourne couple who are driving themselves around Europe. The market on the camp ground is run by a crazy American guy called Charlie. I asked him if there was a pharmacy in town, and he quickly asked me what I was after in way that implied that he might have whatever I was after. He Aussie guy we were hanging out with thinks that he could be a reformed Junkie trying to make good.
The next day was spent reading and eating, and finally today we left the campsite at 4am, flew from Rome airport to Frankfurt (but it was the little budget Frankfurt airport which is 200 km's away from the main international airport) then we had to get a transfer to the other Frankfurt airport and finally sit here for 11 hours while we wait for our flight to Costa Rica. I am not in a great mood and feel that if I tried hard enough I could make someone spontaneously combust just by giving them my patented not happy glare. I might go try that now; there are a bunch of Asian guys next to me hocking up some nasty looking phlegm.
