Slept in but had hot showers … Woohoo!!! Packed up, checked out and headed for Bologna. Found a pay phone early and booked a room for the next five nights in a camping ground near Florence. In front of a monastery … sounds lovely doesn’t it.
Stopped for lunch and food supplies at Ferrara. After our past experiences, we are being careful on what we buy as we don’t know if we will have a fridge. So no beer this time. Pressed on for Bologna, got there about 2pm. Drove up to the Basilica Santuario della Maddona di san Luna, up on the hill. Leading up the hill is the world’s largest portico, with it’s 666 arches lending their support. Went inside the Basilica and there was some kind of service going on. We didn’t understand a word of it. We think that it was being conducted in latin. A rather surreal experience. As for the building, the rather simple outside belied the amazing architecture and frescos on the inside. Despite the simple lines of the outside the large areas of plain terracotta colour contrasted amazingly with the brilliant blue sky that we have today.
Checked the GPS and decided to take the toll road from here to Florence. This will save us 2 hours of traveling time. So we moved on through the tunnels, over the viaducts, and juggled with the trucks for road space, until … 30 kms out of Florence we came to a standstill. We lost 1.5 hrs sitting in stationary traffic. So much for the toll road.
Finally got to our camp at 8pm glad that we had booked ahead and didn’t have to try and find some thing now. It’s a great cabin. Nothing quite like the joys of comparative luxuries. Like being able to walk around the bed, a big shower, lots of cupboard and drawer space, and even a fridge (tomorrow we buy beer).
Stopped for lunch and food supplies at Ferrara. After our past experiences, we are being careful on what we buy as we don’t know if we will have a fridge. So no beer this time. Pressed on for Bologna, got there about 2pm. Drove up to the Basilica Santuario della Maddona di san Luna, up on the hill. Leading up the hill is the world’s largest portico, with it’s 666 arches lending their support. Went inside the Basilica and there was some kind of service going on. We didn’t understand a word of it. We think that it was being conducted in latin. A rather surreal experience. As for the building, the rather simple outside belied the amazing architecture and frescos on the inside. Despite the simple lines of the outside the large areas of plain terracotta colour contrasted amazingly with the brilliant blue sky that we have today.
Checked the GPS and decided to take the toll road from here to Florence. This will save us 2 hours of traveling time. So we moved on through the tunnels, over the viaducts, and juggled with the trucks for road space, until … 30 kms out of Florence we came to a standstill. We lost 1.5 hrs sitting in stationary traffic. So much for the toll road.
Finally got to our camp at 8pm glad that we had booked ahead and didn’t have to try and find some thing now. It’s a great cabin. Nothing quite like the joys of comparative luxuries. Like being able to walk around the bed, a big shower, lots of cupboard and drawer space, and even a fridge (tomorrow we buy beer).
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