Hotel San Giovanni (Fabriano) Ancona

... today. That has to be my favorite saint. Very busy here even though end of season. No wireless interent. We have one more day and we start home. I think we are ready to get home. It has been beautiful here and I have learned so much, but all good things must come to an end. See you all next week I hope.

... absenthe.

Next we decided to explore the surrounding village before entering the crowds above. Perugia is a beautiful midieval village and very well preserved. Incorporated into this ancient setting are some very modern things like an underground moving walkway, taking you through the mazez below the pallazo. On this day, there were special booths set up for children and chocolate vendors.

Perugia, Umbria, Italy davefremland

Hi Everyone!

This past weekend was the Perugia Chocolate Festival…It was amazing! Basically, I was in heaven. It was a chocolate lover’s paradise. We took a bus from Florence and arrived in Perugia by mid morning. It was a bitter day which gave me a perfect excuse to have some out of this world hot chocolate and churros. A bunch of my friends and I had lunch at a ...

... br>We had a traditional dinner consisting of foods from that region. I had a pasta followed by the most sumptuous lamb. And Licia had the same. We took a stroll through the charming village and then drove back to our village for the night.

It was quite cold but with the fresh air and quiet, I got a great night's sleep.

... the pool but the second day we went back into Perugia and had a look around before catching a train to Assisi. The train station isn't in the centre of Perugia, so we had to catch a mini-metro to the top of the hill which gave us a great view before exploring the town on the way back down. We spent the afternoon in Assisi, a short train ride from Perugia.
Assisi is a major destination for millions of pilgrims due to its religious ...

... overtakes you on bends and also crosses onto your side of the road going around the sharp bends on steep mountain roads.. including massive trucks. It was enough to keep anyone awake. We were heading for Elba but it seemed like a long drive. Tricked myself though but first aiming for Lake Tramiseno, then siena and then before we knew it we were at Piombino and about to board the ferry to Elba Island...

... a cabin. They got their seats at 52 and 43 euro (based on their ages). The best part about my cabin? It was meant for 2 but I had no roommate and it had a sofa, table and toilet! But nothing beats spending the night away chatting with Geoff and Jess at their seats, finding out more about them as we discussed about our destinations.

Trivia: Geoff is leaving for home on 9 June and it has been a month since he started traveling. He owns a farm in New Zealand etc... Jess ...

... who went in and out. And the locks to the dorms could be opened with your fingernail if it was strong enough. Not to mention the eastern European alkies that was hanging around the end of the street when we arrived. And the strange Italians in dark suits up to some kind of skullduggery in their mobile phones.

... knocked over by gaggles of older Italian women. For a moment, I thought I saw myself in 50 years, but quickly decided that my manners and consideration for others, especially those smaller, would not be forsaken with age (and I made a mental note to remember that). Once on board, the race began. We went straight for the "airseats" we got bamboozled into purchasing, our second big mistake. The few airseats on the first level were taken within minutes; the remaining seats were on ...

... the son of a Merchant Marine sailor would know better, but I guess I take after the farmers and ranchers on my mother's side of the family. The term "knothead" must have originated aboard ships. Sleep was intermittent, but undoubtedly better than if I had slept on the deck. In the morning, an employee of the ferry line came down the corridor, knocking on doors to awaken the cabin dwellers that we were about to dock in Ancona. With a quick ...