Well, not every mountain but I find it envigorating to climb one every ten years or so. After Will’s early start, I got up and eventually we visited the man in reception and asked about our options for the day. He said there was a train that takes you up the mountain and from there, you can do hikes etc. but a return ticket was €28 and that was half price because we were in the off-season. Alternatively, you could also hike up there in 2-3 hours so we figured we’d give it a try.
It was a fairly steep hike and just as the signs said, it took about 2.5 hrs to get to the top. We are in between seasons with most of the snow melted but we also encountered a few patches along the way. At one point, we had to walk through the snow for 15 metres (50 ft) or so, which was a bit frightening because one wrong step would have meant sliding down the snow with not much between you and the bottom of the mountain. Along the way, we passed only a few people, most of them French, wearing lycra and not more than 3% body fat on any of them. We, on the other hand, stopped now and then to curse the fact that we forgot to bring snacks (nuts and berries) and to enjoy a toke of mother nature.
We were starving by the time we reached the top where the temp had dropped considerably. We were eating the sandwiches we made earlier, wearing shorts and t-shirts, in contrast to the people who had taken the train and were wearing considerably more layers. The hike down, although quicker, was much harder on both of us; Will, because of his knees and me, because my hiking boots are a tad too small and my toes slam into the front of the boot with every step down. We returned to camp and enjoyed a beer and the sunshine before making dinner.
It started raining just as we were getting ready for bed and didn’t stop for the next 12 hours. Thankfully, the tent held up just fine and the only water that came through was under the front door but didn’t get anything wet. The tent is so big we could pack up everything while inside it and only had to stand outside to take it down. The rain let up just as we left but then stayed with us for the rest of the day. We drove through the Mt. Blanc tunnel that is 8 miles long and costs a mere €35 for the pleasure of driving through. Then it was 5 hours across Italy, nearly all of it on the Autostrada.
I’ve had a few experiences driving in Italy so I knew what I was in for, but I came across some wholy new experiences this time around. Firstly, everyone who drives like an idiot is on the phone, which means just about everyone is on the phone. My favourtie example was cruising along at 130 kph (80mph) and noticing the guy behind me has the ubiquitous phone in one hand and is gesturing wildly with the other. I’ve got no idea how he was steering but I couldn’t help laugh at the stereotype even as the madman was driving inches from my rear bumper. The lane markings are treated as a guideline at best and most drivers glide back and forth over them with careless abondon. This includes the 18-wheel lorries and at one point, we nearly got crushed against the inner guardrail as we were passing one of them.
We got to Cattolica around 5:30 and got settled into our hotel. The town is on the Adriatic coast, just south of Rimini. It’s a lovely little town with a long sandy beach and some amazing looking men; more Will’s type than mine but plenty of beauties for everyone. It’s so relaxed here, more than anywhere I’ve been in Italy. I’m sure that comes from living in such a beautiful place but it’s nice to feel so welcome and appreciated. Being low season, we’ve largely got the place to ourselves so that helps. We’ve had a bit of rain both days, in fact we were starting to take it personally since it seemed to start everytime we went outside. On the drive down, we got to play “Name that Rain” since we had so many varieties (constant mist, torrential, steady, etc.). When we arrived, we had a stroll on the beach but just as we hit the far end, the showers started such that we got a good soaking before making it back to the hotel. We got in a number of hours at the hotel pool this morning before the storms rolled in late afternoon.
Tommorow, it’s back to depridation. We’re leaving here in the morning and heading to Tuscany via San Marino. It’s the world’s 3rd smallest republic after Vatican City and Monaco and is known for it’s tax-free shopping. We plan to stock up on food and cheap booze (anyone sense a theme here?) and then we’re camping again just outside of Siena for two nights. It’s only five nights until we pick up our babies (four nights till we meet them) so we’re both trying not to wish away the holiday. We’ve really enjoyed it here, especially the hotel. It’s called the San Marco and is owned by an Italian man and his Dutch wife. With his taste and style and her efficiency and practicality, it’s a beautiful marriage. We look forward to coming back someday and staying a bit longer.