As I didn't have too many issues driving Pietro (Uno) for the 16 days in Northern Italy, we realised by renting a car we could spend the day in some of the places outside Rome that we haven't been able to see due to relying on public transport on previous visits.
To be honest. Driving in Italy is not as bad as I was lead to believe and I have found it requires two things at all times, caution and determination.
Caution; this is one of those things needed whenever and wherever someone is driving, but an extra dose is required in the country shaped like a boot. Too much will make the driver unable to function and is liable to make them give up on the task all together. When winding through narrow streets in a hill top town and the occupants can touch the walls of the buildings on either side of the car, caution is needed. When driving along a lane and one can't see much more than the bumper in front due to the bends in the road, caution is needed.
Too much caution will also cause you to skip a well know town, skip a place to see as you don't think you will be able to get in, get a park and get back out. A number of times I reduced my level of caution to visit that hill top town, drive in a city (Genoa or Rome for example). By doing this we have been able to see much more than we ever could purely relying on public transport.
Determination; is what the driver needs, without this the car will sit in the garage and you will most likely end up sitting at the pool (mind you we did this also a couple of times at LaMaesta in Tuscany). When on the AutoStrada (freeway with a speed limit of around 130Kph) caution can hinder your progress, determination is needed. I found it is be better to try to slip between the traffic, trying to predict the fellow commuters moves. Momentum in a small Fiat Panda is hard to gain and it is also a well know fact that rental cars do go faster. Driving on the left and then coming to Europe and driving on the right needs determination, First time sitting on the 'other side' and driving was a little scary, but with Katie in the passenger seat and my determination, we did it.
One final thing that makes the driving easy is a SatNav system. I use TomTom and honestly I don't think we would have travelled so far in the car each day without it.
Villa d'Este in Tivoli is about 45 minutes from Rome by car and is one place I have wanted to visit since our first trip to Italy in 2012. The attraction to this place is the terraced gardens and the numerous fountains that cover the site. Without Pietro Due we would need to take the train which would be over 70 minutes and unfeasible with our suitcases.
Firstly we had a brief walk through the villa and admired the views over the valley and surrounds.
Next was the walk down through the gardens. Seeing the impressive fountains was certainly a relaxing way to spend our last day.
The water was also drinkable and quite cool. I noticed when closer to the larger fountains, they had a cooling effect on the environment, again increasing the pleasure and ambiance.
At 12:30 the main attraction was the water fountain. This fountain is powered by the force of the water and every couple of hours is activated and around 5 minutes of music is played.
Here is a sound recording of the Water Organ in action.
As you can see the photo opportunities were plentiful, and it is a place I would highly recomend to visit.
After lunch of pizza at a very close taverna, it was a matter of walking back to Pietro Due. Unfortunately our timing was a little off and we happened to walk through Tivoli when around 90% of the shops were closed for afternoon break. It is quite common in the small towns of Italy to close between 14:00 and 17:00. It is a different lifestyle than we are used to with shops being open from 9 to 18:00, here they are open in the morning and then open again from 17:00 to 19:30 or 20:00.
From Tivoli we headed for the coast and were a little disappointed by the two final destinations of the trip, but it is a reminder that not all of Italy is a postcard and not all towns are tourist attractions.
The first stop was Ostia, on the coast and a place I have heard is where the people of Rome go to relax. Well we drove through, walked a section of the town had a gelato and then left. It was a little grotty and sure had remnants of past greatness, but needs some love to be a current destination
Our final stop before heading to the airport was Fiumicino. After Ostia I wasn't expecting too much but this was the better of the two. It is certainly a working town connected with a fishing industry and the coast guard to the ocean. We walked the dock area taking in the scenes, there were many locals fishing from the wharf and also a number of local cats getting their share of dinner from the fisherman's scraps.
Our 2016 tour has come to an end after 40 days on the plane, the road, the cable car, the train, the tram, the funicular, the coach, the metro, the van and of course the foot. We have had an amazing time and hope you have also enjoyed following along. Thanks to all those who took the time to comment, just as you like reading our blog each day, we like reading your comments.
Finally, I would like to thank my travel companion, fellow blogger, and wife for being part of this journey.
Tomorrow; a little sleep
Next trip;.........We need at least a week at home before I mention this to Katie.
Gee. That time went quickly! Hope the jet lag isn't too vicious. Send message when you feel well rested and the brain is no longer foggy. Catch you, eventually.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you both, again, for taking us along on your journey. I really enjoyed your blogs and appricate the time and effort you both put into them.
Glad you both had a wonderful time. I have really enjoyed reading all about your travels and the little videos you made.
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