This is Cortona, a hill town made famous by Frances Mayes. It is very steep, and climbing up one of its upper parts wiped me out this morning. Being popularised by an American, lots of her country people are here. Overall, I prefer Montepulciano, where the hotel and all therle were lovely and kind, and, here, because I think I have run out of things to see and do. And there are mosquitos. I am supposed to avoid being bitten, because of the lymphodoema, but I have been bitten on the afflicted arm, and the bites itch madly.
I am rather terrified it will flare up badly again.
Which is not to say Cortona is not lovely. It is very misty. It stays that way all day. The man at the hotel desk shrugged and said, "it is October." My window faces the direction of lake Trasimeno, site of an historic very bloody battle centuries ago. I cannot remember whether it involved the Etruscans, or Hannibal. But The Etruscans do not interest me much. All their things are rather tiny. Give me Greeks and Romans any day. The view is lovely and there is a long road, so straight it must, surely, be an old Roman road. Although it is autumn, there has not been much change in the colour of the leaves, but notwithstanding that, they are falling. The Piazza Garibaldi, where the hotel is, has fabulous views, and there are many holm oaks, an evergreen oak, which are just now dropping their acorns. I cannot take any home, though. We have strict quarantine laws in Australia, rightly so.
And the internet connection is very, how shall I say, episodic, if I go down to the lobby, it works, but in my room, it falls out. And it just did, so the temperature in my room is rising. These things cause some angst and distress, seething and fuming, although basically I am a gentle soul.
In one years from now it will not matter.
I managed to buy a half bottle of local wine, and having found a glass, of plastic, in the bar fridge, I can sip away. But I would quite like to leave tomorrow, and managed to buy my ticket, at the tobacconist's. The woman there was very helpful. And I now have a ticket pasted all over with stickers, but what they all mean I do not know. I am sure they must be something obligatory.
I am rather terrified it will flare up badly again.
Which is not to say Cortona is not lovely. It is very misty. It stays that way all day. The man at the hotel desk shrugged and said, "it is October." My window faces the direction of lake Trasimeno, site of an historic very bloody battle centuries ago. I cannot remember whether it involved the Etruscans, or Hannibal. But The Etruscans do not interest me much. All their things are rather tiny. Give me Greeks and Romans any day. The view is lovely and there is a long road, so straight it must, surely, be an old Roman road. Although it is autumn, there has not been much change in the colour of the leaves, but notwithstanding that, they are falling. The Piazza Garibaldi, where the hotel is, has fabulous views, and there are many holm oaks, an evergreen oak, which are just now dropping their acorns. I cannot take any home, though. We have strict quarantine laws in Australia, rightly so.
And the internet connection is very, how shall I say, episodic, if I go down to the lobby, it works, but in my room, it falls out. And it just did, so the temperature in my room is rising. These things cause some angst and distress, seething and fuming, although basically I am a gentle soul.
In one years from now it will not matter.
I managed to buy a half bottle of local wine, and having found a glass, of plastic, in the bar fridge, I can sip away. But I would quite like to leave tomorrow, and managed to buy my ticket, at the tobacconist's. The woman there was very helpful. And I now have a ticket pasted all over with stickers, but what they all mean I do not know. I am sure they must be something obligatory.
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