Gala Pesaro

... heard of San Marino but as Sue mentioned it is an independent state named after a Christian stonemason Marinus from around 300 when he hid in the mountain peaks to avoid persecution by the Romans and started a community there. It must have been a case of too small a fish to worry about as today, the mountain state exists as the 5th smallest country in the world. The buildings and scenery were breathtaking. Well worth the long bus ride to get there

... we were glad when we arrived in Rimini.

It rained the first few days we were here, but the past 2 days of sunshine have made up for it! Our hostel has great rooms but a really awful atmosphere, so we were so glad when the sun came out and we could spend all day at the beach, or in the town. Relaxing in the sun is just what we've needed! I'm still embarrassingly white though. I'd even call it offensively white. It's going to take more than 2 days of sun to bring me even to human ...

We got to Rimini later that night after Pompeii. It was another 6 hour drive so again we were exhausted. We checked into the hotel and it was perfect. Nicer than the last one we were at. We had booked in advance for the night and the rate was 30eros cheaper than the next night so we (I) thought we would just get there and tell them we wanted another night at the same price. Unfortunately they played me harder than I played them and said they had no availability ...

... in my life on one beach. There was even a beach shower at the waters edge (advising us not to use shampo (their spelling not mine).

The water temp was cooler than in Sicily but still pleasant enough. by this time the sun had disappeared behind rain clouds. We headed back into town for coffee & shopping. Mandy found a ring but didn't buy it. I think she regretted it as for the next few days she wanted to head back to Fano.

Ciao

We left for Urbino after breakfast for a quick trip (Birth place of Raffaello - painter) of course coffee & gelati was part of our plans with some sights thrown in.

Nice place and worth the trip. No time to view the museo a bit of a shame as there is a section with Rafael.

We had some great views going over the mountains going to/from Urbino. Mandy is handling driving the larger car just fine.

Ciao

We arrived in Ca Le Soure for our one week yoga retreat. I wasn't looking forward to it with my hip and back issues. The place is on top of a hill surrounded by fields of wheat & grape vines and olive groves. We also found a forest of oaks where they harvest black truffles.

The accommodation is cottage style and comfy, a separate building for breakfast, lunch & dinner all vegetarian style food and very tasty - difficult not to go back for seconds as there is ...

... Naturally we got a t-shirt and the man showed us then his own garage with bikes he owned which was really special. He invited us for coffee but we had to get moving on. What a top day we had. Heading north we finally left the lowlands and reached the Dolomite mountains and camped by a lovely lake, Lake Garda. The lake is famous for windsurfing most of the year and the campsite catered for them. The views were beautiful of the soaring mountains behind us.

... countryside from up on the peak, where you can walk along the fortified walls linking its three defensive forts.    For some reason the town itself is full of gun and crossbow shops. Also we were disappointed to discover that the (in)famous San Marino grand prix is actually hosted miles away in Imola, Italy.  Caught in a flap about catching the right bus back we raced down the mountain to the bus stop to find we were ...

... s most advanced civilization after its mass fratricide and imaginary Maginot lines, henceforth only to be moved eastward to cordon off Slavic lands with a spur through Berlin? Antonioni maybe? Naahhh... Truffaut or Godard perhaps? No way. Bunuel maybe, but he pre-dates the war and includes Mexico in his oeuvre, so I respectfully avoid any comparison there. And Fellini, as with Bunuel, accomplished his task ...

... The House of Rachel.... Who is Rachel? You may ask. Though some of you have had the pleasure of meeting her, not all of you have so I will go into a little detail. Rachel is Steve's oldest female friend. They met in Bologna when she was 17 years old. They have remained close the entire time, visiting each other at different times and stages in their lives. Rachel lives in an early 1800's villa in the hills of Bologna. She is also a successful antiquarian and her home is ...