Train travel in Italy is, well, different than I expected. Mind you, I've only headed south from Rome and while I have nothing but praise for the … [Read more...]
Return to Sorrento
Looking at Vesuvio from Sorrento Sorrento is a bewitching little place and, like other towns along the coast, is terraced down in frighteningly … [Read more...]
Ercolano
The garbage in Ercolano is collected with a police escort. No, it's not valuable, the streets are so narrow that the cars have to wait, horns blaring, … [Read more...]
The Ghosts of Herculaneum
Legend tells us that after Hercules finished his 12th labour (dragging Cerberus, the dread dog of the Underworld, up to the surface), he founded the … [Read more...]
Conversazione at the Bus Stop in Pompei
It's perfectly possible to hold a conversation with people who have no English. Up to a point. These ladies greeted me with open arms when I … [Read more...]
Saluti da Pompei!
G'day from Pompei and here's my first sighting of Vesuvio the Magnificent, taken from the train window. It looks so close! Well, it is pretty … [Read more...]
Life around a Castle
On Monday, after a disappointing morning spent failing to visit Ostia Antica, an adventurous journey of 3 hours into the unknown, I had cause to … [Read more...]
Fountains of Rome
You can never go thirsty in Rome. Everywhere you look there are fountains. Fountains, fountains and more fountains. And the water is good! I … [Read more...]
I broke my heart over Ostia
The journey to Ostia Antica was nerve wracking but I sailed through looking calm and confident (la bella figura) despite almost being lost amongst … [Read more...]
At the Supermercato
You can get a good meal from the supermarket for a surprisingly low price. I did, anyway. The local supermercato is four doors away from me, … [Read more...]
A Visit to the Vatican
You don't need your passport to enter the Stato della Città del Vaticano, the strange sovereign state stuck bang in the centre of Rome, but I would … [Read more...]
Buongiorno Roma
The sun is just rising over Rome. I'm watching the sky lighten, coffee in hand, from my terrace, and trying to distinguish between the bells … [Read more...]
All Roads Lead to Rome
Yes, they do. Even when you're on a plane. If you're having a long flight you just have to hope it's not too dreadful and make the best of it. … [Read more...]
The Sad Story of Selinunte
Down on the south west coast of Sicily, not far from Marsala (where I will shortly be sipping the sweet dessert wine), is Selinunte. The glory of … [Read more...]
The Phoenician City of Palermo
Palermo is close on 3,000 years old. I find that pretty hard to grasp. How do you come to terms with such antiquity as an Australian? European history … [Read more...]
