Next stop after San Gimignano is Lucarelli. It is a tiny village in the Chianti area of Tuscany between Siena and Florence. I found this nice inn whilst browsing the web. It's not very far as the crow flies from SG. However I think I need to catch the bus from SG to Siena and then another bus to Lucarelli. The manager at Casa Il Ristoro has advised me as follows: I suggest you from San Gimignano to go to Siena in the morning (I don't know the time table but you can ask in San Gimignano) and from Siena take an other bus that arrive here in Lucarelli.
The last bus (the company's name of buses is TRA-IN) from Siena to Lucarelli is at 17:15 (from the station).
From Lucarelli to Greve in Chianti is possible to go by bus and the time table is: 06:45 - 07:30 - 09:00 - 13:35 - 18:20
From Greve in Chianti to Lucarelli at 13:15 - 17:55.
I also asked him about buses to local villages.
I have since found the bus time table here. I can catch a bus from Siena (Ferrovia stop) at 1355h, 1410h or 1715h arriving in Lucarelli 1 hour and 10 minutes later. i will catch the bus from SG at 1140h arriving in Siena at P.Gramsci at 1245h or change at Stazione FF.SS (?SG) and catch 1245h arriving in Siena (via Tozzi at 1330 or Policlinico at 1335h).
Change of plan.
Today 10th Feb I have been thinking that maybe I should stay in San Gimi for 4 days instead of all the bussing around to get to Chainti. In which case I won't book anywhere for the 20th and 21st. I'll wait and see. The 18th and 19th are booked at Casa di Giovanna. There is a convent in SG called Foresteria del Monasestero run by Benedictine nuns. I might have a look at that. Maybe I should change my booking at Montalcino to Thurs 23rd instead of Friday 24th. I have booked the San Francesco B&B in Siena for the Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th and Monday 26th nights.
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
Friday, 19 January 2007
Rome: 27th March - 30th March
I'm jumping forwards to the end of the trip as I wanted to book something In Rome before it was too late.
I have booked my accommodation at Il Rosaria “house of welcome for pilgrims and tourists” Yes another convent, this time Dominican! Il Rosaria is situated near the Forum and not far from Palatine Hill. The cost for a single room without bathroom is E40. To get there from Termini station I can take bus 40, 64 or 170. or I can take metro line B and get out at Cavour Station. The address is Via Sant’ Agata dei Goti. Phone 066792346. e-mail irodopre@tin.it.
Plan for Rome
Wed March 28th: Campo dei Fiori Market followed by the Vatican: St Peter’s Basilica, St Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
in the evening: Pantheon and Travestere area
Thursday March 29th: Palatine Hill and the Forum and the Coloseum , Piazza del Campidoglio and Spanish Steps
Friday March 30th: my last day in Italy. I leave from FCO Airport at 12 midday.
I have booked my accommodation at Il Rosaria “house of welcome for pilgrims and tourists” Yes another convent, this time Dominican! Il Rosaria is situated near the Forum and not far from Palatine Hill. The cost for a single room without bathroom is E40. To get there from Termini station I can take bus 40, 64 or 170. or I can take metro line B and get out at Cavour Station. The address is Via Sant’ Agata dei Goti. Phone 066792346. e-mail irodopre@tin.it.
Plan for Rome
Wed March 28th: Campo dei Fiori Market followed by the Vatican: St Peter’s Basilica, St Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
in the evening: Pantheon and Travestere area
Thursday March 29th: Palatine Hill and the Forum and the Coloseum , Piazza del Campidoglio and Spanish Steps
Friday March 30th: my last day in Italy. I leave from FCO Airport at 12 midday.
Wednesday, 17 January 2007
Sun 18th March - leave Cortona for San Gimignano
I plan to move on to San Gimignano (San Gimi) after staying 3 days in Cortona. I will be traveling on a Sunday when the bus services are limited. I will need to be down at the Camucia-Cortona station to catch the 0938h train to Poggibonsi. I will be changing in Firenze (Florence). The train from Cortona arrives in Firenze at 1051h and then the connecting train arrives in ‘Poggi’ at 1214h. Then I will catch a bus at 1425h to San Gimi.
I have chosen to go to San Gimi because it small enough for me to go for walks in the surrounding countryside without too much trouble. Apparently it is very ‘touristy’ but as I am going in off season I hope to avoid too many crowds. I will have the luxury of staying in the old town in a B&B, Casa di Giovanna which was recommended on the Slow Travel forum. The cost is about E40 per night and I’ve booked for 2 nights. I may catch a local bus to Volterra on one of the days.
I have chosen to go to San Gimi because it small enough for me to go for walks in the surrounding countryside without too much trouble. Apparently it is very ‘touristy’ but as I am going in off season I hope to avoid too many crowds. I will have the luxury of staying in the old town in a B&B, Casa di Giovanna which was recommended on the Slow Travel forum. The cost is about E40 per night and I’ve booked for 2 nights. I may catch a local bus to Volterra on one of the days.
Friday, 12 January 2007
Next stop Cortona
I plan to leave Assisi on Thursday 15th March and head for Cortona, another hill town, this time in Tuscany. Frances Mayes wrote ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ about her life in this town and the renovation of an old farmhouse ‘Bramasole’.
Another attraction of Cortona was the availability of cheap accommodation in an old convent which has been converted into a youth hostel. It will be sharing a dormitory for 3 nights but at E12 per night what the heck. I have read some good reviews of the hostel and also some not so good ones. I may be sharing with a large group of noisy school children! I must remember to take ear plugs.
From the Trentitalia site I see there is a direct train from the rail station for Assisi to Camucia which is the rail station for Cortona. I can catch a train at 1119h, 1319h or 1519hr and I’ll arrive at Camucia 1 hour and 8 minutes later.
Some of the things I want to do in and around Cortona have been inspired by reading a travel blog: eurobimbo’s journey to enlightenment – the tuscany files. Just walking around the town and the surrounding countryside will be heavenly. There is a Franciscan monastery, called le celle, nearby so hopefully I can walk out there. It would be nice to walk along the road to Torreone and maybe even walk past Bramasole!. There is a Saturday market in Cortona which looks very appealing.
Another attraction of Cortona was the availability of cheap accommodation in an old convent which has been converted into a youth hostel. It will be sharing a dormitory for 3 nights but at E12 per night what the heck. I have read some good reviews of the hostel and also some not so good ones. I may be sharing with a large group of noisy school children! I must remember to take ear plugs.
From the Trentitalia site I see there is a direct train from the rail station for Assisi to Camucia which is the rail station for Cortona. I can catch a train at 1119h, 1319h or 1519hr and I’ll arrive at Camucia 1 hour and 8 minutes later.
Some of the things I want to do in and around Cortona have been inspired by reading a travel blog: eurobimbo’s journey to enlightenment – the tuscany files. Just walking around the town and the surrounding countryside will be heavenly. There is a Franciscan monastery, called le celle, nearby so hopefully I can walk out there. It would be nice to walk along the road to Torreone and maybe even walk past Bramasole!. There is a Saturday market in Cortona which looks very appealing.
Thursday, 11 January 2007
Why Assisi for 6 days?
I was brought up Catholic, but I’m now not religious. However like lots of people I find churches and the old RC rituals very moving. I also like the idea of walking in someone’s footsteps.
I guess I started reading about the St Francis Walk. That would necessitate a Reiti base, which seemed a little off the beaten track.
I read that Assisi is a beautiful hill town and of course it is also place of pilgrimage. A post to the Slow Travel Italy forum described a beautiful walk Assisi to Eremo della Carceri:
"The Retreat of Your Life"
Our first view of the monastery was from the valley below. Our host, Claudio, told us we were in the Valley of the Devil, where St. Francis had a battle with the Devil. It was a valley full of wildflowers and butterflies, more butterflies than I had ever seen. We were on horseback from a trail ride that began in Malvarina, a guest farm at the base of Mount Subasio.At the entrance to the convent, we dismounted and immediately noticed the quiet of the spot. It was out of respect to keep conversation to a minimum and almost at a whisper. We were at 2400 feet and in the forest. This was the spot where St. Francis and his followers came for rest, fasting, and meditation. Perfect! The Eremo is carved out of a rock cave and the doorways are so small, it's single file and bend your head to pass. The chapel is exquisit and you can feel the Holiness. As you exit through the convent and cross the devide, you take the path the follows the crest of the Valley of the Devil. This is the most peaceful walk on the face of the earth.
Yes that sounded pretty good and then there are all the basic St Francis attractions in Assisi. Also Assisi seemed like a good place to base myself and take day trips to nearby towns. Spello is only 10 minutes on the train. I could also visit the towns of Bevagna and Montefalco by catching the train to Foligno and then a bus through the countryside. Another attraction was the description of St Anthony’s Guest House that I read on one of the message boards. It is run by a group of American nuns, is well situated in the old part of town and was reasonably priced. I could get a single room with breakfast for E38. I just kept thinking about my nun’s cell in Assisi and that is what drove me to make my on-line ticket purchase. I can’t find the link to the description by other travelers of the convent, but it seemed just what I needed - fairly simple and my own room. The sisters replied promptly to my e-mail – yes they had availability on the days I wanted. So 6 nights and 5 days in Assisi. The plan is Saturday to the above described Eremo della Carceri and some sites in the town. The church of St Chiara (Clare) is near to where I will be staying. When to see the famous Basilica with the Giotti frescoes? There will be one day to Spello and another one or two days to Bevagna and Montefalco. Anyway that’s the general plan for Assisi and I will be able to get good advice from the nuns I’m sure.
I guess I started reading about the St Francis Walk. That would necessitate a Reiti base, which seemed a little off the beaten track.
I read that Assisi is a beautiful hill town and of course it is also place of pilgrimage. A post to the Slow Travel Italy forum described a beautiful walk Assisi to Eremo della Carceri:
"The Retreat of Your Life"
Our first view of the monastery was from the valley below. Our host, Claudio, told us we were in the Valley of the Devil, where St. Francis had a battle with the Devil. It was a valley full of wildflowers and butterflies, more butterflies than I had ever seen. We were on horseback from a trail ride that began in Malvarina, a guest farm at the base of Mount Subasio.At the entrance to the convent, we dismounted and immediately noticed the quiet of the spot. It was out of respect to keep conversation to a minimum and almost at a whisper. We were at 2400 feet and in the forest. This was the spot where St. Francis and his followers came for rest, fasting, and meditation. Perfect! The Eremo is carved out of a rock cave and the doorways are so small, it's single file and bend your head to pass. The chapel is exquisit and you can feel the Holiness. As you exit through the convent and cross the devide, you take the path the follows the crest of the Valley of the Devil. This is the most peaceful walk on the face of the earth.
Yes that sounded pretty good and then there are all the basic St Francis attractions in Assisi. Also Assisi seemed like a good place to base myself and take day trips to nearby towns. Spello is only 10 minutes on the train. I could also visit the towns of Bevagna and Montefalco by catching the train to Foligno and then a bus through the countryside. Another attraction was the description of St Anthony’s Guest House that I read on one of the message boards. It is run by a group of American nuns, is well situated in the old part of town and was reasonably priced. I could get a single room with breakfast for E38. I just kept thinking about my nun’s cell in Assisi and that is what drove me to make my on-line ticket purchase. I can’t find the link to the description by other travelers of the convent, but it seemed just what I needed - fairly simple and my own room. The sisters replied promptly to my e-mail – yes they had availability on the days I wanted. So 6 nights and 5 days in Assisi. The plan is Saturday to the above described Eremo della Carceri and some sites in the town. The church of St Chiara (Clare) is near to where I will be staying. When to see the famous Basilica with the Giotti frescoes? There will be one day to Spello and another one or two days to Bevagna and Montefalco. Anyway that’s the general plan for Assisi and I will be able to get good advice from the nuns I’m sure.
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
Blogging onwards
Ok. I'm getting the hang of this. I've just joined a blogger help group.It's one of the Google groups.
Well on Dec 24th 2006 I was looking at buying a ticket on-line, really just browsing. A couple who stayed at the B&B here had recommended Singapore Airlines. I was having a look at their site. The price seemed right about AUD$1600 without taxes. In total the cost was about AUD$2030. Unsure whether I could complete the transaction on-line I pressed on until yes I had actually PURCHASED MY RETURN TICKET TO ROME leaving Melbourne on Thursday 8th March and returning Saturday 31st March. I hadn't even applied for Annual Leave!
Oh yes. Another thing that motivated the purchase was that I had made an inquiry by e-mail to see if there was a vacancy at St. Anthony's Guest House, a convent in Assisi and yes there was and I could catch a bus straight from the airport in Rome (FCO) to Assisi. I wouldn't have to worry about taking the train from the airport to the main train station in Rome ...... I have since discovered that this is not the case and that I will indeed be better off catching the train. With the help of a posting on the Fodor's forum I have detailed instructions of how to navigate through Rome airport to the airport train station, where to buy my ticket and details of Rome Termini train station.
The Trentitalia site enables you to simply type your intended departure and arrival towns into a search box and within seconds you have a list of train times and routes. Getting to Assisi was now proving a little problematic. The bus actually terminated in Perugia and then I would need to catch a bus or train to Assisi. Like most hilltowns the train station is some kilometres away from the town and it is necessary to catch a bus or taxi up to the old town. Posts to the aforementioned Slow Travel and Fodors's forums and an e-mail to the sisters at St Anthony's suggested that the train would be a better option. I arrive in Rome Airport (FCO) at 0715h presuming the flight is on time. I should be able to catch the half hourly train to Rome Termini (central station). There are a few options on getting to assisi from FCO:
(first buy my ticket from FCO to Assisi at the Tabac at the airport station)
Well on Dec 24th 2006 I was looking at buying a ticket on-line, really just browsing. A couple who stayed at the B&B here had recommended Singapore Airlines. I was having a look at their site. The price seemed right about AUD$1600 without taxes. In total the cost was about AUD$2030. Unsure whether I could complete the transaction on-line I pressed on until yes I had actually PURCHASED MY RETURN TICKET TO ROME leaving Melbourne on Thursday 8th March and returning Saturday 31st March. I hadn't even applied for Annual Leave!
Oh yes. Another thing that motivated the purchase was that I had made an inquiry by e-mail to see if there was a vacancy at St. Anthony's Guest House, a convent in Assisi and yes there was and I could catch a bus straight from the airport in Rome (FCO) to Assisi. I wouldn't have to worry about taking the train from the airport to the main train station in Rome ...... I have since discovered that this is not the case and that I will indeed be better off catching the train. With the help of a posting on the Fodor's forum I have detailed instructions of how to navigate through Rome airport to the airport train station, where to buy my ticket and details of Rome Termini train station.
The Trentitalia site enables you to simply type your intended departure and arrival towns into a search box and within seconds you have a list of train times and routes. Getting to Assisi was now proving a little problematic. The bus actually terminated in Perugia and then I would need to catch a bus or train to Assisi. Like most hilltowns the train station is some kilometres away from the town and it is necessary to catch a bus or taxi up to the old town. Posts to the aforementioned Slow Travel and Fodors's forums and an e-mail to the sisters at St Anthony's suggested that the train would be a better option. I arrive in Rome Airport (FCO) at 0715h presuming the flight is on time. I should be able to catch the half hourly train to Rome Termini (central station). There are a few options on getting to assisi from FCO:
(first buy my ticket from FCO to Assisi at the Tabac at the airport station)
- 1012 or1112h FCO to Tiburtina and then 1221h direct to Assisi arriving at 1427h.
- I could go via Terni direct from FCO -departing FCO at 0757h, arriving Terni 1043h then changing to Assisi line departing Terni at 1404h.
- depart airport station 0835h arrive Rome Termini station 0906. Then I will need to quickly find the Eurostar train which leaves at 0936h. I will disembark from this train at Foligno at 1112hr find the platform for Assisi and depart at 1221h (all being well!). The problem with Eurostar is that you have to reserve seats and it is considerably more expensive.
Monday, 8 January 2007
why a blog?
I thought I would start a blog to record my trip planning. Also to provide a site where people can view my trip diary and photos. I'm just really playing around with this to see how it works.
My blog name is faulty travels for no reason other than it sprang to mind when I was asked for a name. It just seems right - I don't expect my travels to be faultless.
I guess I have been buying books on Italy and Tuscany for about 10 years. I can remember when I was contemplating my future at the City of Melbourne dreaming about travel to Tuscany helped to distract me from the monotony of my life at the time and the uncertainty of my future. I still have the Lonely Planet Guide to Italy and the Rough Guide to Tuscany and Umbria purchased about 1995 and they are both helpful with planning. In fact I think I will take the Rough Guide with me.
Anyway since moving to Beechworth in 1997 I have been on 2 overseas trips - to Eastern Europe in 2001 and to Canada to attend Shannon and Derek's wedding in 2002.
I have been lurking and posting on the Italy forum of the Slow Travel website since about mid 2005.
Some of the other forums I have used to plan this trip are:
Trip Advisor
Fodors Europe forum
Rick Steve's graffiti wall
My blog name is faulty travels for no reason other than it sprang to mind when I was asked for a name. It just seems right - I don't expect my travels to be faultless.
I guess I have been buying books on Italy and Tuscany for about 10 years. I can remember when I was contemplating my future at the City of Melbourne dreaming about travel to Tuscany helped to distract me from the monotony of my life at the time and the uncertainty of my future. I still have the Lonely Planet Guide to Italy and the Rough Guide to Tuscany and Umbria purchased about 1995 and they are both helpful with planning. In fact I think I will take the Rough Guide with me.
Anyway since moving to Beechworth in 1997 I have been on 2 overseas trips - to Eastern Europe in 2001 and to Canada to attend Shannon and Derek's wedding in 2002.
I have been lurking and posting on the Italy forum of the Slow Travel website since about mid 2005.
Some of the other forums I have used to plan this trip are:
Trip Advisor
Fodors Europe forum
Rick Steve's graffiti wall
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