Eva's Wine Cellar

Hmmm, drawings of Villa Lante, I so wish....

but it is, among landscape architects at least, usually thought of as the most coherent design among italian gardens. (Or was, when I was into these studies).

John and I were there in March. We hadn't slept much, another story, and J was particularly grumpy as we tried to catch the train from Rome, which wasn't where we thought it should be at piazza Flaminio, but a half block away... anyway, we got the last train to Viterbo, and then the small train to Bagnaia, and then walked up to the Villa - and they were closed for lunch. My husband was ready to kill me, me, who had heard of this place in school and had it in my sights.

One desultory guy wandered out and said avanti, and we went in. We were the only people in the place, with great winds gusting.

He took us into one of the villas - I am positive it was so he could get out of the wind, which was taking down sycamore branches. In the meantime, I had come three thousand miles to see this place and was rather avid. (I'll have to post a photo of me there sometime).

Well, up to the grotto and back, me lingering, the guide leading by some increasing number of feet.
(Yes, we did give him a goodly tip, which he deserved, poor lamb(!)

Afterwards we had a good lunch in a nice trattoria, whose name I can find if not right this minute, and then we tried to catch the bus back to Rome.

But, we didn't have tickets.

We went into the Bar and John begged, did anyone know how we could catch the bus. John doesn't speak italian. Lotta arm waving. I burble some italian words. It's only men in there in the dark...

One fellow collects tickets from the guys at the bar and walks us out.

John tries to buy them a round.

No!

I will always love Bagnaia.

As the bus was leaving we saw the lead guy with his hod carrying apparatus... going across the piazza.

Oh, and after that, after the short train to Viterbo, we were standing at the Viterbo to Roma stazione and a woman came over to us...

and offered us some of her chocolate bar.

Which we took, happily.

Which is part of why I went back to Viterbo, in 1999, the earlier part of this happening in 1993.

I forgot to mention the hod carrier who had been the one talking to John, had spent time in Argentina, which worked with John's flailing Spanish... and so they connected however slightly.

Not as far a leap as people might think as John's folks were Minnesota farmers and his dad only got to fourth grade through no fault of his own.

Fascinating. You would be great to travel with.

We've killed off several bottles of wine, waiting...

<hic> Where shall we go next, Francis?

To a gay bar - I have heard French men are very considerate lovers...wanna give it a shot again - maybe I will be thrid time lucky

Well, then, tap, tap, tap...

Yes!

TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP.......

(Where are you Francis?)

Preparing to go out in Paris!
Coming soon!

Oh, no no no Prince, Francis belongs to us, and we
won't share, right girls?

We bonden for the last 21 pages with Francis, and
he travels well (hardly any guy does), we have
history together and will continue traveling the countryside
of France with him.

There might be room for you as a passenger, but not
as love interest. He's ours!

Hey CJ - what happened to equal oppurtunties ???

Good point prince. Have you asked Francis already
if he's up to a flexible workout schedule?

My dear prince, I think you drove Francis away,
which proves, he's not gay

Surely we can find you an acceptable substitute in "Gay Paree"?

Has Francis abandoned us in the middle of Paris? Oh dear. I suppose we could call a taxi and go back to the airport.

Francis is the middle of something, but you can count on him!

Be back soon to resume our Paris tour!

Sorry, just to clarify - when I said "gay bar" I *did* not mean Francis !!

Eva
Eva, a slight digression. Remembering the fun we had at your villa in Venice, I have bad news. The Gondoliers in Venice are on strike.

BBB

No gondolas for Valentine's Day

Venetian gondoliers, enraged by a ban on boating at night, have gone on strike - spoiling many a couple's dream of a Valentine's Day boat trip.
The Italian city, concerned over a range of problems caused by waves, has introduced strict traffic rules.

Gondolas cannot take to the canals between 0100-1030, when deliveries of goods are made by bigger boats.

But gondoliers say the ban is unfair and are threatening to carry on their protest until the ban is revoked.

At the town hall, a spokeswoman would not say whether the mayor, Paolo Costa, was considering scrapping the night-time ban.

"The waves cause well-known problems to Venice's buildings, and the new regulations were meant to preserve their stability and fight erosion," she told the BBC News website.

"The canals are incredibly busy these days. There are cargo boats, public waterbuses, water taxis, fire brigade boats.

"The growing volume of water traffic poses a threat to the safety of passengers, too."

'Unfair'

Traffic has been staggered for all types of boats, but gondoliers feel they have been treated unfairly.

''The new regulations are inconclusive - gondolas and all other rowing boats should be completely exempted from it,'' the gondoliers told Italian news agency ADN Kronos.

On Monday they were staging a mass protest in front of the town hall building, hundreds of their distinctive vessels "parked" just metres away from the Rialto Bridge, one of Venice's top attractions.

The rally provided an unusual photo opportunity - a meagre consolation for the many disappointed Valentine tourist couples, most of whom will probably leave Venice before the strike is over.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4264831.stm

Published: 2005/02/14 15:56:14 GMT

Well, since Francis is busy ironing out the details of our tour of Paris, we might as well digress.

I'm on the gondoliers' side, BBB. Their historical contribution should be respected and protected. Motorized boats are the ones that should be more heavily restricted due to the damage they are causing.

Ah, but then Italy wouldn't be Italy without strikes, you know.

And this strike got to the heart of it, eh?
<sorry, I just couldn't help it>