M M M M M MY ANCONA

I Not really mine.  Not my fault!
That's a bit harsh, but from a tourist point of view this has not been the most successful stop on the journey.
There are things to see and places to go, it is just difficult to get there and they are usually closed.

Ancona is very multi-cultural after the mono-culture of Penna San-Giovanni.  You would expect that of a port city, especially when staying by the train station and port.  As a consequence there are always some shops open, which is a blessed relief if you need a bite to eat or a drink.

Yesterday was a public holiday in Italy, Assumption day.  Buses and local trains were not running, even to the posted schedule, and taxis were almost impossible to find unless you were at the main station.  But nothing!  Nothing! was going to stop me going for a swim in the Adriatic.  Not the lack of transport to the beach.  Not the 4 kilometre walk there in thongs, not 3 k of it being along a feeway with no alternative.  I just kept walking til I found access to the beach (fenced railway line between road and water.)  Planned to get a taxi back.

Beautiful swim.  No taxis they told me.  Walk back.  Wet shorts.  Halfway along the freeway a  *#*!ing bus goes past!!  The cars on the freeway don't leave much room between you and them when they pass you from behind, I tell you.  More when you are facing them.  Quite a few other people were walking along the same freeway, faced withthe same lack of public transport.

Today, I have a few hours after check out to wait for the others and then the train to Rome at 3.30.  Off to see the cathedral on the hill and a few other major sights around the place.  Unlikely to get inside any of them, unless I catch them during the hour or two they are actully open.

Cathedral on top of big hill

Ancona from said big hill.

Big stormy wind came up. I had to try and eat this in said wind.

Such trials and tribulations I can deal with.

Finally, etc etc from the song

I got to see the titian in sant Domenicas

Three times I went there til finally I got to see it. 21/2 hours walking. Was it worth it? Oh yeah!

No photo, it wouldn't do it justice. 

Also saw st franciscos 

Not as impressive, but nice. 

You know you are in a strange place when even the churches are hardly ever open.

Off to the beach this afternoon. My own boss until tomorrow when I get Connor back.

Ancona

Frustration and disappointimento

The grottiness of Ancona soon recedes from mind when it livens up. But why oh why is everything closed so much. So disappointing when you can't see what you want to see. 

There are many beautiful buildings

An amazing set of fountains

The heads are all different

I did finally get to the museum de citte which tells the whole history with English audio. Very interesting . Now enjoying minestrone de mare and a nice glass of red

Very nice 

Sagra della polenta

Yesterday afternoon, Bryan Louise Anne Edie Connor and I went to monte San martini to see the recently discovered frescoes prince Charles went to see. There are certainly some places prince Charles has been that I wouldn't want to go, but this us not one of them. The cavelli? Frescoes in the bottom church were nice but I especially liked a (definite) cavelli tryptich I. The upper church. 15th or 16th century. 

That evening we went to the penna San Giovanni polenta festival. At the top if the hill. This time Megan came and Connor stayed behind. Mobs of people, huge pot of polenta . Hoping to get hold of Louise's photos of the process. 

Grande Giorno

After a leisurey brakfast overlooking the verdant valley and a gentle stroll up through the walled medieval village ...................followed by a refreshing dip ................... (just setting the scene,+ leaving out the mundanities like sh*# shower and shave)

We went for a drive to the Abbe de Fiastre.  Just the two grannies, Jack Brabham and I.  Practising for targa tasmania.
The Abbey was founded by Cistercian monks in 1142 and has had a mildly turbulent history with only a couple of sackings, suppressions and dissolutions.

It passed in to the hands of a noble family and is currently occupied by a family foundation and a small group of monks who returned in 1985.

There are Roman and even Etruscan relics incorporated in the building and/or displayed in a museum. 

Also, old working parts from the farm, winery and olivery (is that a word Lady Olive?)

After returning from the abbey we went out for a most marvelous meal.  There is a restaurant about 25 minutes windey driv across the valley.  It is part of the agriturismo movement.  We tried to order but fortunately the waiter largely ignored us, in the nicest possible way.  We had antipasta that kept coming and coming.  Organic home grown and cured meats, pickled vegetables, scramble, bruschetta, lentils etc etc.

This veritable feast was followed by pizza, goats cheese ravioli and crepes that just have to be eaten to be fully appreciated.  All this was accompanied by two jugs of wine and soft drink for the kids and drivers.

Finally, the slightly less stuffed had dessert.  Tiramasu, panna cotta or gelati.  Everything homemade and grown I believe. All the while gazing over the valley at the twinkling lights of Penna SanGiovanni on the hill.

 

Benne!

Villa vanilla

Couple of very relaxed days recently. Went to the regional capital Macerata two days ago, it has a beautiful old town and a great villa/art gallery. 

It also has links to the Sforzas and the Farnese pope

The villa itself and the town of Penna San Giovanni are very pretty . Though it is difficult to buy things. The shops are rarely open. Most of them open late, close for a long siesta then nay or nay not open again. Gelato is delicious, plentiful and cheap. 

Beautiful views

The villa and little town are quite a way from anywhere but the views are beautiful.  The villa too is very spacious.  We arrived last so got last dibs at bedrooms, but all rooms are spacious.

The little town at the top of the hill is a very pretty old walled town.  Three churches, a couple of taverns and a few little shops.  There is a polenta festival coming up on the tenth.

Yesterday morning I waked up to the lower town shop to try and get some bread.  It was too early for the day's delivery which was 20 mins away.  I asked for a loaf left from yesterday as it was for toast anyway.  The man wouldn't sell it to me.  We got in translators and everything but he refused to sell me day old bread.

Three peas in a pod 

Yesterday we also went for a big drive to a big supermarket.